SIA Statement on Recent Anti-ALPR Demonstrations

In any free society, citizens should embrace their right to responsibly express their views about public policies that impact their lives and communities. Respectful debate about policies such as those governing the use of license plate recognition is part of the fabric of any democracy and vital to ensuring thoughtful laws are adopted. However, legitimate debate must be free from intimidation and fear, and actions clearly intended to intimidate and threaten any individual are completely unacceptable.

The recent demonstration at the home of Genetec CEO Pierre Racz, the disruption to him and his family, and the damage to his property are particularly deplorable and the Security Industry Association shares the outrage by many over this incident. We condemn the awful actions that the mob took and hope those stakeholders who have concerns about the use of this technology will have the human decency to condemn these acts as well. 

Vandalism, harassment, intimidation and unlawful demonstrations at private homes are illegal acts in most jurisdictions. There can be no ambiguity about the consequences from acts that threaten human safety. We call on officials responsible for protecting the public to ensure that any individual committing such acts are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, and to prevent further incidents that would put people in danger.

Another thing is immediately clear: The unruly participants did not understand the individual or company they targeted.

Genetec has earned a well-recognized global reputation for taking a privacy-first approach to security, where video and image data is by default not shareable. This firmly held position reflects the leadership practiced by Pierre Racz. Mr. Racz has consistently and publicly challenged the entire industry to always put privacy, cybersecurity and responsible use of artificial intelligence first. At a Security Industry Association conference just two weeks ago, he underscored this in a message to other executives, saying, “We are an industry for public safety, not surveillance.”

SIA, as the organization representing innovation in security and safety solutions, welcomes public discussion about the ethical use of security technologies. Threatening actions toward individuals who lead or work for companies offering ALPR systems should be universally condemned. Such behavior has no place in this discussion or our society.

We further encourage anyone who wants to learn more about license plate recognition to review our extensive information on ALPR, which includes principles designed to ensure appropriate technology application and the prevention of misuse. The information also dispels common myths about ALPR technology and recommends key legislative safeguards.