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

(Reporting by Mike Scarcella)