A troubling incident has come to light, revealing how law enforcement in Texas utilized a nationwide network of automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras to locate a woman suspected of self-administering an abortion. The search, conducted earlier this month, spanned over 83,000 cameras, including those in states like Washington and Illinois where abortion is legal.

Data obtained by 404 Media highlights the potential for ALPR technology, typically marketed for local crime prevention, to be repurposed in ways that raise significant ethical and legal concerns. The system, developed by a company called Flock, allows police to track vehicles across state lines.

According to the sheriff involved, the search was initiated due to concerns for the woman’s safety expressed by her family. However, experts in health surveillance are raising alarms about the implications of such widespread monitoring.

“You have this extraterritorial reach into other states,” Kate Bertash of the Digital Defense Fund explained to 404 Media. “And Flock has decided to create a technology that breaks through the barriers, where police in one state can investigate what is a human right in another state because it is a crime in another.”

This case underscores the growing debate surrounding data privacy and the potential for technology to be used to enforce laws across state lines, particularly in the context of reproductive rights.

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About 404 Media: 404 Media is an independent media company founded by technology journalists Jason Koebler, Emanuel Maiberg, Samantha Cole, and Joseph Cox.

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Texas Cop Used License Plate Data Nationwide in Abortion Case

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