More than two dozen privacy groups are urging California Governor Gavin Newsom to remove covert license plate readers in southern California. The Associated Press has reported that such devices feed data into a U.S. Border Patrol intelligence program that scans roadways for suspicious travel patterns. The nonprofits Electronic Frontier Foundation, Imperial Valley Equity and Justice and other organizations sent a letter Tuesday asking for an investigation and removal of these devices. The AP's November report revealed that the Border Patrol hides these readers in traffic equipment. The program monitors millions of drivers to identify suspicious travel, raising privacy concerns. Critics argue this surveillance may violate the Fourth Amendment.
