Your children's school bus is set to transform into a mobile surveillance unit.

      Robb Hill for The Washington Post via Getty Images

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      Just last week, we released an article discussing how companies that operate automatic license plate readers—and profit from selling the data they gather—are now seeking to track electronic signatures from connected devices and even features of your car’s infotainment system through a new product called SignalTrace. And they have no plans to stop there.

      On Tuesday, 404media published a report detailing intentions to install automatic license plate readers in schools and share the data with law enforcement. This report is based on leaked documents from BusPatrol, a company that focuses on stop-arm cameras that photograph drivers who unlawfully pass school buses (the term “stop-arm” refers to the fold-out stop signs on school buses). The company claims to have more than 40,000 of these cameras in operation across 24 states, with at least 30 states allowing their use. They utilize AI software to automatically analyze images and forward them to law enforcement.

      As highlighted by Reason, stop-arm cameras have faced criticism for failing to deliver the promised safety improvements, yet they have still generated substantial revenue for the companies that implement them. According to the new report, BusPatrol intends to transform these cameras into license plate readers. Rather than activating only during alleged violations, they will reportedly operate continuously, capturing data on any vehicles visible to a school bus, which can then be sold to the law enforcement agencies that BusPatrol already serves.

      Civil rights advocates are increasingly alarmed that the current unregulated deployment of automatic license plate readers constitutes unconstitutional mass surveillance by the government. Instances of misuse are already emerging. This week, 404media published additional findings about police officers using the widely adopted Flock camera system to monitor individuals. Simply replacing humans might not suffice. In a conversation with 404media regarding the BusPatrol initiative, Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst for the American Civil Liberties Union, remarked that “there’s a genuine risk that AI will lead to an oppressive level of enforcement.”

      According to the report, the leaked documents indicate that BusPatrol is aware of the negative perceptions surrounding automatic license plate readers and anticipates opposition. However, an anonymous insider informed 404media that a new investor is urging the company to explore alternative revenue sources, and testing is already underway with one school bus, with plans to install 100 license-plate-reading cameras on school buses by the end of next month.

      If BusPatrol proceeds with this initiative, these cameras will be added to an already extensive surveillance framework capable of tracking individuals’ movements by interpreting license plates or electronic device signals. The companies providing these cameras have established a business model centered on selling data to law enforcement, which can utilize it even though it was obtained without a warrant. As security expert Matt Hurewitz pointed out on The Drivecast, “the laws have not kept pace” with this technology.