Class notification letters in California license plate scanning class action

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

Update:

• California license plate holders who could be part of a class action lawsuit against Digital Recognition Network (DRN) alleging a violation of California’s Automated License Plate Recognition recently received notice.
• Residents may opt out of being part of the class by sending a letter to the notice administrator by March 7.
• Class members are those who had their plates read by DRN at least 15 times between June 2017 and the date of a final judgment.

Digital Recognition Network license plate readers class action overview: 

• Who: Guillermo Mata lodged a class action lawsuit against Digital Recognition Network, Inc (DRN). 
• Why: Mata alleges DRN has been improperly collecting and storing license plate data in violation of California law.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in a California federal court.

(Aug. 24, 2021)

Digital Recognition Network (DRN) uses license plate readers to track the comings and goings of innocent people and provides that information to anyone willing to pay for it, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Lead plaintiff Guillermo Mata claims the surveillance program, which uses automatic license plate readers to scan and collect data, is targeting and violating the privacy of innocent and unsuspecting civilians. Mata wants to represent himself and Class Members in the state of California whose license plate data was collected by DRN. 

DRN uses unmarked vehicles equipped with high speed cameras and license plate readers to capture photos, Mata says. The defendant then uses the collected data to make predictions about where the vehicle and its driver may be located at any point in time. 

“Millions of guiltless and unsuspecting individuals are monitored and tracked while going about their daily lives—going to work, picking up groceries, and visiting friends or family—without the slightest inkling that any of this is happening,” states the license plate reader class action lawsuit.

DRN used license plate readers to track Mata’s vehicle, which allowed them to gain access to his house and work addresses along with sensitive information such as when he usually leaves and comes home, the class action lawsuit alleges. 

License plate readers capture billions of scans

DRN has amassed more than 20 billion historical scans of license plates using its license plate readers, ReaperHD cameras, which provide “high-volume license scanning,” are equipped with night vision, and are able to constantly scan within their visual range, says Mata. 

The license plate readers can pick up the license plate images of cars both traveling at high speeds or simply parked in a driveway, according to the class action lawsuit. 

DRN is engaging in this action without the public’s knowledge, claims the plaintiff, which makes them indifferent to people’s privacy and civil liberties. DRN’s use of license plate readers to track innocent people is also a violation of The California License Plate Recognition Law, says Mata. 

The company claims to have over 1,000 clients in industries such as lending, collections, and insurance, who rely on and pay for the data collected by its license plate readers, according to the class action lawsuit. 

Mata is demanding a jury trial where he is seeking liquidated damages along with punitive damages and costs for himself and all Class Members. 

Google was the target of a similar class action lawsuit in May that alleged the tech company was violating privacy laws by collecting and selling consumers private information. 

Are you comfortable with having your license plate information tracked, bought, and sold? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Rafey Balabanian and Aaron Lawson of Edelson PC. 

The Digital Recognition Network license plate readers class action lawsuit is Mata v. Digital Recognition Network, Inc., Case No. 3:21-cv-01485-JLS-BLM, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• FuboTV illegally shares viewer data, class action claims
• Carnival class action over consumer tracking escapes dismissal
• Judge rules TikTok biometric privacy class action settlement does not resolve newer in-app browser claims
• 23andMe hackers sought Jewish, Chinese customers’ data, class action alleges