Privacy news

Cops Play Hide and Seek About Using Spy Tech to Avoid Scrutiny and Bad PR

Published September 9, 2026 · EFF Deeplinks

EFF reports that police departments are deliberately concealing their use of surveillance tools such as license plate readers, cell-site simulators, and facial recognition. Officers in places like an Iowa county and Houston are reportedly told to avoid mentioning automated license plate reader systems in reports or to drivers, partly to dodge public records requests. Critics say the secrecy blocks public oversight, hides tactics from judges, and makes it harder for defendants to contest surveillance-derived evidence.

Read the full story at EFF Deeplinks

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