Marin County Sheriff's Office Facing Legal Challenge Over Illegal ALPR Data Sharing

• The Marin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has been caught sharing Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) data from its Flock Safety system with out-of-state and federal agencies.
• The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the ACLU of Northern California have issued a demand letter citing direct violations of California law and a prior court settlement.
• The unauthorized data sharing creates significant privacy and safety risks for vulnerable populations, including immigrants and individuals seeking reproductive care.

Violations and Context

• Sharing ALPR data with federal or out-of-state entities is prohibited under California law (SB 34 and SB 54).
• Audit logs from November 2024 revealed over 254,000 unauthorized data accesses by agencies in states such as Alabama, Texas, and Florida, which are known for strict abortion restrictions and collaboration with ICE.
• The actions violate the 2022 "Lagleva v. Marin County Sheriff" settlement, which explicitly required the department to stop sharing such data outside of California.

Demands for Accountability

• The EFF and ACLU are demanding a comprehensive audit of the ALPR database and the implementation of new compliance protocols.
• The groups are calling for disciplinary actions against employees responsible for the breaches and seeking an explanation as to why the public was not informed once the unauthorized access was discovered.
• Advocates argue that California law enforcement agencies continue to fail in their duty to protect residents' rights, rendering the use of mass surveillance technology like ALPRs incompatible with community protection.