> RECORD OBS-0427 | status: PARTIALLY SUBSTANTIATED | filed 2026-07-31

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Smart Meter Mass Surveillance by Sacramento Utility and Police

Record	OBS-0427
Category	Government/Surveillance
Status	PARTIALLY SUBSTANTIATED
Summary	The Electronic Frontier Foundation alleges that Sacramento Municipal Utilities District (SMUD) has been sharing customer smart meter data with police for over a decade, leading to thousands of tips about high electricity usage. The program reportedly targeted Asian customers and resulted in police visits to innocent residents.
Origin	The scheme reportedly began around 2014, with SMUD lowering the usage threshold over time. The EFF filed a lawsuit in 2022 on behalf of the Asian American Liberation Network and two residents.
Claimed	SMUD has passed over 33,000 tips about high electricity usage to police without individualized suspicion. The program disproportionately targeted Asian customers, with analysts noting '4k, Asian' and 'multiple Asians have reported there'. Police sent accusatory letters in English and Chinese only, and made unannounced visits to residents. The threshold for suspicion dropped from 7,000 kWh/month in 2014 to 2,800 kWh/month in 2023. An innocent resident with a spinal injury was falsely accused of cannabis cultivation due to high electricity use.
Evidence / consensus	The EFF's allegations are based on court filings and public records. The case is ongoing, and the utility has not yet been found liable, but the documented evidence supports the claims of a surveillance program.

> OBSERVER NOTE:
This is a documented legal case, not a fringe theory. The EFF's filings provide evidence of a real surveillance program, though the final legal outcome is pending.

Sources

When Your Power Meter Becomes a Tool of Mass Surveillance | Electronic Frontier Foundation

Sources are external and provided for verification. Listing does not imply the Observer endorses their claims.