A power utility is reporting suspected pot growers to cops. EFF says illegal
9 months ago
- #electricity monitoring
- #privacy
- #law enforcement
- Sacramento residents Alfonso Nguyen and Brian Decker were accused of illegal cannabis cultivation based on high electricity usage.
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) flagged over 33,000 customers to the Sheriff’s department for suspicious power usage patterns.
- SMUD analyzes electricity usage in 15-minute increments and reports suspected illegal grows to law enforcement.
- The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) argues this practice violates privacy rights and seeks a court order to stop warrantless disclosures.
- EFF cites cases where SMUD’s suspicions were incorrect, including cryptocurrency mining and medical equipment usage.