In the near future, I intend to introduce a two-bill package to establish reasonable safeguards for the use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs), facial-recognition systems, and other emerging technologies that electronically collect and retain information about individuals. 
 
Automated surveillance technology allows government agencies to track the movements and activities of law-abiding Pennsylvanians on an unprecedented scale.  While these tools may serve legitimate law enforcement purposes, their indiscriminate use can result in the collection and retention of vast amounts of information about individuals who are not suspected of any wrongdoing.  When combined across multiple systems, facial-recognition records and other personally identifiable information can provide the government with a detailed picture of an individual’s life – including where a person lives and works, whom the person associates with, the places of worship or political events the person attends, and even when the person seeks medical care or legal advice. 
 
Without clear guardrails, these emerging technologies could transform limited investigative tools into an Orwellian system of mass surveillance.  To ensure that the convenience of these technologies do not come at the expense of the fundamental protections guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment, I intend to introduce the following bills.