Axon sued over AI-powered license plate reader network
By Mike Scarcella
WASHINGTON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Axon Enterprise AXON.O, maker of Taser electric stun devices, police body cameras and AI-powered surveillance technology, has been sued in a proposed class action accusing the company of unlawfully collecting and storing information about millions of California drivers through its automated license plate reader network.
Here are the details:
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in federal court in San Francisco by law firms Hausfeld and Gibbs Mura, alleges Axon has failed to comply with a California privacy provision by not disclosing how it collects, uses and shares plate data gathered through its camera systems
“Axon has created a mass-surveillance infrastructure that is practically impossible to avoid,” the lawsuit said
Scottsdale, Arizona-based Axon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit said the company has more than 1,000 cameras in California and alleges millions of drivers may have been affected
Some Axon cameras are installed in high-traffic areas and collect plate information as vehicles pass by. Other cameras are placed inside police vehicles, the lawsuit said
The proposed class covers drivers whose vehicle plate information was captured by an automated license plate reader in California and processed or stored by Axon's system since 2023
The lawsuit seeks more than $5 million in damages, in addition to a court order stopping Axon from its allegedly unlawful practices
The case is Ryan Mun et al v. Axon Enterprise, US District Court, Northern District of California, No. 3:26-cv-13127.
For plaintiffs: Renner Walker and Steven Nathan of Hausfeld, and David Berger of Gibbs Mura
For defendant: No appearance yet