EFF and ACLU file petition to Wisconsin Supreme Court seeking warrant for ALPR database searches

What happened

The Electronic Frontier Foundation and the ACLU of Wisconsin have filed a petition with the Wisconsin Supreme Court asking the court to require a warrant for retrospective searches of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) databases. The petition argues that the state constitution mandates a warrant for such searches, which currently allow law‑enforcement agencies in Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and Green Bay to track individuals' movements without individualized suspicion. The filing follows a recent federal ruling in Oklahoma that classified ALPR searches as indiscriminate mass surveillance.

Why it matters for trust and compliance

• Its status is filed. The case is still open; the outcome may change what it means.
• The case could reshape privacy protections for location data by imposing warrant requirements on mass ALPR surveillance.

Who is affected

Recommended actions

1. Review consent, cookie and tracking practices against the requirement.
2. Check that privacy notices describe the practices this addresses.