National security laws

Pioneering spy-tech law adopted by Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County on Tuesday approved a pioneering spy-tech law that governs electronic surveillance, which advocates hailed as a "future-proof" model for others to follow.
The ordinance is aimed at protecting the public's right to privacy from existing and emerging technologies, such as drones, license plate readers, cellphone trackers or things that haven't yet been realized outside of science fiction.
The new rules require that agencies put in place public policies regarding the use of any surveillance technology before it is acquired or activated, and issue annual reports on how the technologies have been used and what they discovered.