404 Media reports, based on public records and court documents, that the federal government is using the HIDTA anti-drug trafficking grant program to require local agencies to send automated license plate reader data to federal servers under the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. In Georgia, cities operating ALPRs on state rights of way must sign a memorandum of understanding with HIDTA; the DEA’s own privacy assessment warns the system may enable tracking of law-abiding drivers. Some local agencies say data is kept in a federal HIDTA database and cannot be shared via FOIA. Original article: https://www.404media.co/how-cities-are-forced-to-funnel-license-plate-data-to-a-massive-federal-surveillance-program-hidta/