1. Read the first two paragraphs of the article and answer the questions:
who -
what -
where -
when -

2. For what reason did law enforcement use the scanners? (What was their stated goal?)

3. a) What groups are concerned about the use of the readers at the gun show?
b) Why are they concerned?

4. What were the results of the surveillance?

5. a) Who is John Chigos?
b) How does he view the gathering of license plates at a gun show?
c) He suggested, “we need to establish policies for license-plate readers, like any new technology.” Do you agree with his suggestion? Explain your answer.
Opinion question. Answers vary.

6. From paragraph 5: “ICE has no written policy on its use of license-plate readers and could engage in similar surveillance in the future, they said.” What do you think? Should government security agencies be required to have a written policy on this data collection? Should they be required to obtain a warrant? Should they be required to demonstrate probable cause or individualized suspicion? Explain your answer.

7. In what ways (for what reasons) do law-enforcement agencies use license-plate readers?

8. a) Re-read paragraph 13. Do you think the mass collection of information on people attending a legal gun show is a violation of their constitutional rights?
b) If ICE successfully arrested a gang of gun smugglers, would it be acceptable? Explain your answer.
c) Would your answer be different if law enforcement collected facial recognition data on attendees at a “legalize marijuana” rally, or an anti-police rally or Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders rally?
d) If law enforcement could successfully catch drug dealers in one of those crowds, is it ok for the government to have attendee information in a database of this group of people? (Some people say “I don’t do anything wrong, I don’t care if they have my information.” or “Google, Instagram etc. have all of my information anyway, who cares if a government agency does as well?” or “They need to use mass surveillance to keep us safe.”) What do you think?
e) Ask a parent the same questions.
Opinion questions. Answers vary.