Sonoma County faces a lawsuit from the ACLU, alleging that its drone surveillance program, initially intended to monitor illegal cannabis cultivation, has expanded into a broader operation infringing on residents’ privacy rights. The program reportedly conducted over 700 flights and captured 5,600 images, including private areas of homes, without warrants, leading to code violations and fines. One plaintiff discovered the county’s surveillance when an employee revealed they had photos of her property, including her outdoor bathtub, prompting her to file a public records request that exposed the invasive monitoring practices.
