Tony Tan is a software engineer specializing in privacy. He grew up in China, Japan, and the United States. Because he spent part of his childhood in China, and still has family there, Tony is acutely aware of the concerns that arise from mass surveillance. And through his background in privacy, Tony understands the importance of minimizing the amount of data collected and held by systems like San Jose’s ALPR system. Tony appreciates the diverse and politically-active community in San Jose. He’s attended protests and volunteered to document U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity around San Jose. Tony passes one of San Jose’s ALPRs almost the moment he leaves his home. Especially given his political activism and the minimal restrictions on access to the data, Tony worries about how all the information these ALPRs collect about him could be misused.
In April 2026, Tony and two other San Jose residents teamed up with IJ to file a federal, class action lawsuit challenging San Jose’s ALPR system.
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