Police Can Track You Without a Warrant?

Automated license plate readers are appearing across Colorado, but how much information are they actually collecting about you? On this episode of Code at the Capitol, Vanessa Rutledge talks with Denver-area civil rights attorney Andy McNulty, who is suing the City of Boulder over its use of Flock cameras. The lawsuit began after McNulty's client requested images the system had captured of his own vehicle and was told he could not obtain them. McNulty explains how automated license plate readers can record vehicles, locations and timestamps and how that information can be used to reconstruct a person's movements. He argues that law enforcement should need a warrant before using these systems to track someone. Vanessa and Andy also discuss the Fourth Amendment, documented concerns about misuse, the argument that people who have "nothing to hide" shouldn't worry about surveillance, and the danger of creating a powerful surveillance infrastructure that could be abused in the future. When does a crime-fighting tool become mass surveillance? And should police be able to track where you've been without a warrant? Code at the Capitol examines the intersection of technology, government and public policy, and what it means for Coloradans.