Virginia delegate Jackie Glass plans to introduce legislation next session requiring police to encrypt data collected by license plate readers. Her proposal comes as privacy concerns grow around the spread of this location-tracking technology.
Glass believes guidelines are needed as more localities adopt license plate readers. She worries police could abuse access to detailed location data on residents’ movements.
To balance law enforcement needs and privacy rights, Glass proposes requiring “homomorphic encryption” for license plate data in Virginia. This method allows police to conduct searches related to specific cases without accessing mass information on all drivers.
Glass is building support through meetings with stakeholders ranging from police groups to technology experts. She hopes encryption can be a nonpartisan solution, but acknowledges privacy laws face uncertainty in Virginia’s legislature.
The delegate believes engaging diverse voices will lead to better policy. “You hope that if someone believes in the thing you believe in, they work with you and not against,” Glass said.
