License Plate Surveillance Company Attacks Nonprofits For Filing FOIA Requests

A private company that sells surveillance technology to law enforcement is telling police departments that they are being targeted and attacked by transparency groups that request public records.

Vigilant Solutions, the country’s largest vendor of automated license plate readers (ALPRs), has accused the non-profit groups Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Muckrock of running a campaign in order to evoke fear (and ultimately donations), in a letter sent to law enforcement agencies across the country.

The two groups launched a joint campaign in February to file public records requests with law enforcement agencies that have contracts with Vigilant. A week later, the company sent the email to participating police departments…Read more…