Cybersecurity Policy Report, California AG Sues to Block Police Department’s License Plate Data-Sharing, (Oct 6, 2025)
The police department in El Cajon, California, is sharing data generated by an automated license plate reader (ALPR) system with out-of-state authorities in violation of state law, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D.).
AG Bonta filed a lawsuit against the city in state court to end the police department’s data-sharing, the AG’s office said in a news release. A state law enacted in 2015 barred state agencies from sharing ALPR data with out-of-state agencies, it noted.
“Under California law, state and local law enforcement agencies are prohibited from sharing data pulled from Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) systems with federal and out-of-state law enforcement, where the data’s use is beyond the reach of California’s oversight and regulation,” AG Bonta said.
“Yet despite clear guidance and multiple warnings, the City of El Cajon Police Department continues to share this data with numerous out-of-state law enforcement agencies throughout the country,” he alleged.
“When information about Californians leaves the state, we no longer have any say over how it is used or shared. That’s why the California Legislature passed SB 34—to ensure information about Californians remains here in California. Yet El Cajon has knowingly and repeatedly refused to comply with state law, jeopardizing the privacy and safety of individuals in its community,” AG Bonta added.
The lawsuit notes that Flock Safety provides the police department’s ALPR system and that the department’s Flock “transparency portal” shows that it shared ALPR data with agencies in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The police department had no immediate comment on the lawsuit, which seeks to enjoin its data-sharing activities.
News: StateLegislation LitigationEnforcement DataPrivacy