Scrutiny over security cameras at CT's home improvement stores
The short version: FOX 61 exposes how Lowe's and Home Depot in Connecticut run license plate readers in their lots with zero transparency, even to state lawmakers.
Our Take
This is exactly the kind of quiet mission creep we've been warning about. It's not just cop cars and tollbooths anymore — now it's the parking lot at your local Lowe's. FOX 61 found that Connecticut lawmakers know these retailers are scanning plates but have no idea why, what's collected, how long it's kept, or who else gets access to it. If elected officials can't get a straight answer, what chance does the average shopper buying lumber have?
Retail ALPR deployments usually get sold as 'loss prevention,' but that label does a lot of heavy lifting. Once a plate-reading camera is up, the data doesn't stay in a vacuum — it can be sold, shared, or subpoenaed, often without the driver ever knowing a record of their visit exists. Shoppers in this story didn't even realize they were being tracked, which is the whole point of how these systems get normalized: quietly, store by store, until it's everywhere and nobody remembers consenting to any of it.
Credit to FOX 61 for pushing this into the open. If you want to see how far this kind of tracking has spread near you, check our camera map, and if you're ready to push back on unaccountable ALPR use in your state, visit our take-action page.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of FOX 61, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.