Cambridge, MA Privacy & Surveillance: License Plate Readers (2026)

(A)Acquisition of Surveillance Technology by City Departments Other than the Police Department...the City Manager must submit to the City Council a Surveillance Technology Impact Report...and obtain City Council approval before doing any of the following:(1)Seeking funds for Surveillance Technology, including but not limited to, applying for a grant, or accepting state or federal funds...(2)Acquiring new Surveillance Technology...(4)Entering into an agreement with a non-City entity to acquire, share, or otherwise use Surveillance Technology or the Surveillance Data it provides....(D)(6)Data Retention: The time period, if any, for which information collected by the Surveillance Technology will be routinely retained, the reason that retention period is appropriate to further the purpose(s), the process by which the information is regularly deleted after that period has elapsed...(8)Third-Party Data-Sharing: If and how other City or non-City entities can access or use the Surveillance Data, including any required justification and legal standard necessary to do so, and any obligation(s) imposed on the recipient of the Surveillance Data;