The American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday filed a lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court alleging that Anaheim police were refusing to produce documents about the use of cellphone snooping technology.
The ACLU submitted public records requests last year to Anaheim seeking more information on the police department’s use of StingRays, a surveillance device that can be used to track cellphone movements.
Anaheim officials declined comment, citing a policy on pending litigation.
“StingRays are capable of invading the privacy of innocent Americans, so the public must be able to monitor how law enforcement agencies use them,” said ACLU attorney Peter Bibring.
“The police cannot adopt a new, invasive surveillance technology without any kind of public oversight or accountability.”
The ACLU claims Anaheim police in August refused to turn over any documentation on the technology and cited a “trade-secret privilege,” according to the organization.
— City News Service