SUMMARYAxon faces a proposed class action in federal court in San Francisco over its AI-powered license plate reader network in California. The lawsuit alleges the company illegally collected and stored plate data from millions of drivers without properly disclosing how the information was gathered, used, or shared. It seeks more than $5 million in damages and an order blocking the challenged practices.
Axon has been sued in a proposed class action accusing the Taser and police body-camera maker of illegally collecting and storing license plate data on millions of California drivers through its AI-powered surveillance network. Reuters reports the details: - The lawsuit (PDF), filed on Tuesday in federal court in San Francisco by law firms Hausfeld and Gibbs Mura, alleges Axon has failed to comply with a California privacy provision by not disclosing how it collects, uses and shares plate data gathered through its camera systems
- "Axon has created a mass-surveillance infrastructure that is practically impossible to avoid," the lawsuit said
- Scottsdale, Arizona-based Axon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit said the company has more than 1,000 cameras in California and alleges millions of drivers may have been affected
- Some Axon cameras are installed in high-traffic areas and collect plate information as vehicles pass by. Other cameras are placed inside police vehicles, the lawsuit said
- The proposed class covers drivers whose vehicle plate information was captured by an automated license plate reader in California and processed or stored by Axon's system since 2023
- The lawsuit seeks more than $5 million in damages, in addition to a court order stopping Axon from its allegedly unlawful practices