I remember the moment I learned that a private company planned to install Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras at the entrances to my quiet Toronto neighbourhood. I was surprised by how little concern there seemed to be about the privacy risks—or about the controversy surrounding similar systems in the United States.

I value the peaceful, community-minded character of my neighbourhood. But when I raised questions and opposed the cameras, I was told, in effect, that if enough households agreed to pay for the service, the cameras would be installed regardless of the concerns of other residents.

That did not sit right with me. A small group of private citizens should not be able to authorize a private company to record the movements of everyone who travels along public streets.

ALPR cameras do more than take an occasional picture. They can record licence plates, locations, dates, times and directions of travel. When information from multiple cameras is combined, it can reveal patterns about where people go, when they leave home and when they return—even when they are not suspected of doing anything wrong.

As I began speaking with people outside my neighbourhood, I realized this issue was much bigger than one community. If privately operated ALPR networks are allowed to expand without rules, meaningful oversight and public accountability, they could affect how people move throughout Toronto.

These concerns are not hypothetical. In the United States, there have been documented cases of law-enforcement databases being misused to look up or monitor people for personal reasons, including current or former partners. Any system that collects detailed information about people’s movements creates the potential for misuse, unauthorized access, security breaches and surveillance beyond its original purpose.

Toronto’s public streets belong to everyone. We should be able to travel through our city without private organizations creating searchable records of our movements simply because we drove past a camera.

This petition calls on Toronto’s elected officials to stop private companies and individuals from installing or operating ALPR surveillance systems that monitor public streets.

Technology should serve the public—not quietly create private surveillance networks around us.

Please sign this petition and ask Toronto’s leaders to protect our right to move freely and privately through our city.