Washington Pro-Abortion Groups Warn License Plate Cameras Endanger Patients

Advocates say the technology poses a threat to those seeking abortion and gender-affirming care in the state.

Feb. 25, 2026 at 11:18pm

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Pro-choice advocates in Washington state are calling for more protections from automated license plate readers, which they say pose a threat to people seeking abortion and gender-affirming care. The cameras can track vehicle locations and movements, which advocates fear could be used to build cases against patients in their home states amid a wave of national abortion bans.

Why it matters

The advocates argue that the surveillance of patients visiting clinics for protected health services, like abortion and gender-affirming care, is a violation of privacy and could endanger their safety and access to care.

The details

Pro-Choice Washington is backing legislation that would prohibit the use of such cameras around clinics providing protected health care services. The group says last year, Texas law enforcement accessed camera data in Washington as part of a nationwide search for a woman who self-administered an abortion, trying to build a case against her. The woman was not charged. The bill also calls for limits on how long companies can store the data collected from the cameras, with advocates pushing for a one-week limit.

  • Last year, Texas law enforcement accessed camera data in Washington as part of a nationwide search for a woman who self-administered an abortion.

The players

Pro-Choice Washington

A pro-choice advocacy group in Washington state that is backing legislation to prohibit the use of automated license plate readers around clinics providing protected health care services.

Ryan McDonald

The communications director for Pro-Choice Washington.

Gabbi Nazari

The government relations director for Pro-Choice Washington.

Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs

The organization that said the automated license plate readers, like other policing tools, are used to protect freedoms, not erode them.

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What they’re saying

“When you're receiving health care, that is an extremely private circumstance that should never be subject to public scrutiny. That's a decision made between the patient and the provider. And to think that these people are being surveilled in those really vulnerable situations is really scary.”

— Ryan McDonald, Communications Director, Pro-Choice Washington

“We have major concerns because the longer these folks have the data, the longer it can be used by bad actors in order to criminalize folks.”

— Gabbi Nazari, Government Relations Director, Pro-Choice Washington

What’s next

The bill has passed the state Senate and is now in the House. If passed, it would prohibit the use of automated license plate readers around clinics providing protected health care services, including abortion and gender-affirming care.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing concerns around the use of surveillance technologies, like automated license plate readers, and how they could be misused to infringe on the privacy and safety of individuals seeking sensitive medical care, especially in the context of restrictive abortion laws across the country.