A new lawsuit by local advocacy groups alleges San Jose's use of data collected by automated license plate readers deployed around town violates drivers' privacy rights.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Santa Clara County Superior Court, takes aim at the city's practice of allowing the San Jose Police Department to search a vast database of license plate and vehicle images without a warrant. The plaintiffs warn the data -- which is used to aid police investigations and can be stored for up to a year -- could be used to track drivers' movements throughout San Jose. In their legal complaint, plaintiffs allege this violates the California Constitution ban on unreasonable searches, as well as its guarantee of privacy rights.

"Normally, that kind of location information is protected and requires

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