The American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont says electronic surveillance techniques are increasingly accessible to state and local law enforcement agencies and private businesses. The group has issued a report detailing the types of surveillance most commonly seen in Vermont and is calling on the state legislature to control how it’s used.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont released a report today, “Surveillance on the Northern Border,” warning of the increase in technology-enhanced surveillance on private citizens. It was released in conjunction with a video that ominously details how law enforcement and other agencies are intruding into private citizens’ lives.
ACLU of Vermont Executive Director Alan Gilbert says the report attempts to inform people that volumes of information are being collected that police may have access to with, or without, a warrant.
Vermonters for Liberty Chair Steven J. Howard says the increased use of electronic surveillance is a natural outcropping of the original Patriot Act and subsequent legislation.
Vermont passed a bill to limit use and data access of Automated License Plate Readers in Vermont. Alan Gilbert wants the state legislature to further restrict other forms of electronic surveillance.
Steven Howard agrees that the Legislature must enact further controls.