Bootleggers, Cops, and Cars: How Driving Became a Privacy Trap

Chief Petty Officer Lee Schmidt was stuck in morning traffic en route from Norfolk, Va., to his job in Virginia Beach when he first noticed the “weird little camera” outside a CVS: an automated license plate reader.

Schmidt began seeing the cameras everywhere after that first sighting in late 2023—outside banks, near schools, and “just to get on the interstate” heading to work. “You cannot dodge these,” said Schmidt, now retired from his Navy electronics technician job. “It’s nearly impossible.”

Norfolk Police Chief Mark Talbot painted a similar picture when briefing officials shortly after Norfolk installed 172 license plate reading ...