San Jose Faces Pressure to Dismantle Extensive ALPR Surveillance Network

Privacy advocates and immigrant rights groups call for an end to warrantless access to license plate data that could target vulnerable communities.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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San Jose, California is at the center of a growing debate over the use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs), a surveillance technology that creates detailed records of vehicle movements throughout the city. Privacy advocates and immigrant rights groups are urging the city to dismantle its extensive ALPR network, citing concerns about data sharing with federal agencies like ICE and the lack of warrant requirements for accessing the collected data.

Why it matters

The ALPR system in San Jose, comprised of nearly 500 Flock Safety cameras, raises significant civil liberties concerns. Critics argue that the technology facilitates mass surveillance, tracking all drivers and revealing sensitive information about their daily lives. There are also fears that the data could be misused to target vulnerable communities, especially immigrants, despite legal prohibitions on sharing the information with federal agencies like ICE.

The details

Recent revelations have fueled these concerns, as nearby cities like Mountain View, Los Altos Hills, and Santa Cruz have deactivated or terminated their Flock camera contracts due to unauthorized access by federal agencies. In San Jose, police are permitted to search the ALPR database, which contains a year's worth of data and hundreds of millions of records, without any suspicion of wrongdoing. Data shows that San Jose police conducted over 261,000 ALPR searches in just over a year, averaging nearly 700 searches per day.

  • In January 2026, police in Mountain View deactivated their entire network of Flock cameras after discovering unauthorized access by federal and other agencies.
  • In September 2025, a report detailed 19 searches conducted by San Francisco police related to ICE investigations.

The players

SIREN (Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network)

An organization that has joined forces with CAIR-California and other groups to sue the city of San Jose, arguing that its warrantless searches of ALPR data violate California's constitution and privacy laws.

CAIR-California (Council on American-Islamic Relations, California)

An organization that has joined forces with SIREN and other groups to sue the city of San Jose over its ALPR surveillance practices.

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)

A privacy advocacy group that has reported on the widespread sharing of ALPR data by California law enforcement agencies with federal agencies, despite legal prohibitions.

ACLU of Northern California

A civil liberties organization that has joined the lawsuit against San Jose's ALPR practices.

Flock Safety

A vendor that provides the ALPR cameras used in San Jose and other cities, raising concerns about data sharing and access.

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What’s next

The lawsuit brought by SIREN and CAIR-California seeks to compel San Jose police to obtain a warrant before accessing the Flock license plate system, which could set a precedent for other municipalities grappling with the implications of ALPR surveillance technology.

The takeaway

The debate over ALPRs in San Jose reflects a broader tension between public safety and individual privacy. While law enforcement agencies tout the technology's potential benefits, privacy advocates argue that the risks to civil liberties are too great, especially for vulnerable communities. The decision facing San Jose's city leaders will likely have far-reaching implications for how other cities approach the use of this controversial surveillance tool.