Automatic License Plate Readers Raise Concerns over Data Privacy

Transcript

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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.

ANCHOR: In today's broadcast, important new information for 23andMe customers. Then, automatic license plate readers prompts concerns about how data is used in north central Minnesota. And, why blue and green bows are appearing throughout the Twin Cities. I’m Chantel SinGs.

Minnesotans affected by the bankruptcy of genetic testing company 23andMe have a new way to protect their data. As part of its bankruptcy proceedings, 23andMe, through a bidding process, arranged an equity sale and sold the company to TTAM Research Institute, a California nonprofit. The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, along with a coalition of Attorneys General, secured consumer protections,
including a privacy ombudsman, annual audits, and the right for consumers to permanently delete their data. Consumers must log in to 23andMe to permanently delete their data. Next, after the placement of automatic license plate readers in the north central part of the state, some civil liberties groups are concerned about how the data is going to be managed. Victor Palomino talks with the news director of AMPERS
stations KAXE about this and other issues in North Central Minnesota.

Victor Palomino: Local Authorities set up 12 automatic license plate readers in the Bemidji area and other cities in North Central Minnesota as part of a program to monitor crime. But KAXE news director Chelsey Perkins said that some privacy advocates have raised concerns about it.

Chelsey Perkins: In this case, the Paul Bunyan Drug Task force sought some grant funding to put up these cameras so that they could keep track of any potential drug activity in the area, and with the side effect of also helping out with any other crimes that may take place.

Victor Palomino: The cameras are run by the company Flock Safety. Recently, the Illinois government found out that this company was allowing federal agencies and other out state agencies to use some of the data that had been collected.

Chelsey Perkins: There certainly has been some conversations on social media with people raising concerns about these. There is also a website that's called D Flock that tracks the locations of these cameras, and you know, they cite the fact that, for instance, a law enforcement officer at one time used
it to track his estranged wife.

Victor Palomino: Chelsey added that the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force says that it will not hold the data for more than 30 days unless it's part of an active investigation they are conducting. And the state laws require auditing to be done every two years.

Chelsey Perkins: So there are definitely reasons why people are concerned. But again, local authorities, you know, have insisted that there's no reason for people in this part of the state to be concerned and that they plan to, you know, take care with the use of these devices.

Victor Palomino: In other news, the North Central part of the state is expanding its public transit.

Chelsey Perkins: Well, GoMarty is a free autonomous transit system that is in Itasca County, and it's based in Grand Rapids. It's been in use for a few years now, but recently, just in early September, they expanded, and they now have 60 new stops in Cohasset, Deer River and Ball Club, which includes areas of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation.

Victor Palomino: The expansion is now providing access to people with disability issues, and riders can request a ride with the GoMarty app.

Chelsey Perkins: And it's especially important in communities like those in the reservation, where there are certainly some challenges to access to transportation.

Victor Palomino: The program is also a spotlight for the
region.

Chelsey Perkins: So it's, you know, unique as well, and the fact that it's actually one of the only such projects in the whole world that is testing this type of transit in an area where there's snow and cold to contend with.

Victor Palomino: To listen to all the news from the North Central Region, visit KAXE.org. For North Star Stories, I'm Victor Palomino.

ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories. Blue and Green Ribbons are starting to line even more streets throughout the Twin Cities. It’s an effort to draw attention to the victims of the Annunciation Church and School Shooting. North Star Stories spotted a volunteer recently putting the bows up along Mississippi River Boulevard in St. Paul. It’s all part of the Bows of Love project. The Bows of Love website says the project is a volunteer-driven movement fueled by a
shared belief in community, connection, and support. You can find more information about the project online at bows of love.com.

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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers.org.