Police Are Using AI to Pull over Drivers for 'Suspicious' Behavior

Automated license plate readers are shifting from tools used to investigate specific crimes toward systems that flag drivers for unusual travel patterns and can prompt traffic stops without evidence of a particular offense. The ACLU says this practice risks turning routine movement into grounds for police scrutiny. It cites Grace Knowles, who was stopped while driving to Florida after cameras recorded her road trip across several states. An FBI agent said her plate had been flagged for suspicious travel and showed her a map of locations where it had been photographed. Knowles persuaded him that she was simply traveling, but the encounter illustrates how extensive location records can be used to question people who are not suspected of a crime.

Privacy concerns extend beyond her case. License plate cameras record vehicles’ locations and timestamps, creating searchable data about millions of people; advocates warn that collection often occurs without a warrant or individualized suspicion, and that the systems can be misused or generate mistaken suspicions. Other reported cases involved a grandmother questioned about casino visits and a man stopped after trips between Wisconsin and Michigan. A Texas jury recently sided with a driver stopped after a Houston-area overnight trip, while reporting says Flock Safety has developed AI that identifies drivers through movement patterns. Public opposition is growing: a survey found more respondents opposed than supported local police use, and some departments have suspended or ended Flock contracts.