Document Type
Article
Media Type
text
Publication Title
Northern Illinois University Law Review
Abstract
This article examines the constitutionality of automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras. ALPR cameras are permanently affixed on the highway and record the license plate number of every passing vehicle. The system is used by police to locate stolen vehicles, track fleeing suspects, and for other crime prevention purposes. In 2019, the Tamara Clayton Expressway Camera Act was passed by the Illinois General Assembly, which allowed for the installation of these cameras in Illinois. But the constitutionality of these cameras has been challenged as a Fourth Amendment violation, because although the camera network has many valid purposes, it also poses a privacy concern. The camera records can be strung together to reconstruct a citizen’s everyday movements. Someone with access to the system could potentially identify what medical providers someone goes to, what church they go to, and even their political affiliation. These camera networks can be hacked and are also subject to misuse by the police. Thus, the legislation needs to be amended to restrict the number of cameras used, shorten the time period by which photos are kept, and to implement sharing restrictions.
First Page
1
Last Page
25
Publication Date
11-1-2025
Department
College of Law
Recommended Citation
Lathwell, Michael
(2025)
"Candid Traffic Cameras: Why Illinois’s Automated License Plate Reader System Should be Restricted,"
Northern Illinois University Law Review: Vol. 46:
Iss.
1, Article 1.
Suggested Citation
Michael Lathwell, Candid Traffic Cameras: Why Illinois’s Automated License Plate Reader System Should be Restricted, 46 N. Ill. Univ. L. Rev. 1 (2025).
