California legislature agrees to upload driver's licenses to national database
3 hours ago
- #data privacy
- #civil liberties
- #government policy
- California legislature withdrew opposition due to pressure from Governor Gavin Newsom and the DHS, agreeing to fund and revise state law to upload driver's license and ID data to the national SPEXS database operated by AAMVA.
- The budget compromise includes "guardrails" criticized as ineffective and a sham, with concerns that legislators lack time to assess them before a scheduled hearing.
- Once data is transferred to AAMVA, DHS or other agencies could access it via court orders, potentially including gag orders preventing disclosure to California or individuals, limiting accountability.
- Data misuse risks include weaponization against vulnerable groups like immigrants and transgender individuals who are already targeted by federal and state agencies.
- The proposed bill claims to limit data sharing to federal requirements, but compliance with REAL-ID is optional; no federal law mandates data sharing with AAMVA, a private nonprofit.
- California has the choice to reject capitulation to DHS threats, with suggestions to instead prepare legal defenses against interference with travel rights by the Attorney General.