A judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging San Jose's network of license plate reader cameras, dealing a legal setback to opponents of a technology that has divided the city's residents over fears of dragnet surveillance.
The Santa Clara County Judge rejected arguments that the city's use of automated license plate reader data violates the California Constitution's guarantee of privacy rights and prohibition on unreasonable searches.
San Jose Spotlight reports the ruling follows the lead of an earlier decision from a California Appellate Court that found drivers have no reasonable expectation of privacy when traveling through public streets.
San Jose maintains a network of about 500 automatic license plate readers.
The court ruling rejected plaintiffs' arguments that the sheer quantity of cameras in San Jose makes the city's network a far more invasive law enforcement tool.
Opposition to license plate reading cameras has increased in many Bay Area municipalities, specifically amid concerns over sharing data with federal law enforcement agencies, such as ICE.
