Flock cameras are facing a new fight in Congress after a string of surveillance abuses
Flock cameras are a devisive topic.
Flock Safety’s automated license plate cameras are facing new federal scrutiny as lawmakers introduce competing bills that would either restrict the technology or impose new rules on how police can use it, according to a press release from Ocasio-Cortez’s office. The proposals come after months of reports about misuse, privacy concerns, and the growing reach of Flock’s surveillance network.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Jeff Merkley, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced the Ban Flock Act on Friday, seeking to prohibit the federal government from using or accessing data from automated license plate readers. The legislation would also withhold certain federal grants from state and local governments that do not adopt similar restrictions.
Flock’s network now includes more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states, according to CBS News. The cameras record vehicle information including license plates, makes, models, and colors, while participating law enforcement agencies can search the resulting data across jurisdictions.
The abuse reports keep piling up
Concerns over Flock have intensified as law enforcement officers have been accused of using the technology for purposes unrelated to legitimate investigations. Previously, Christopher Goodson, Florida police officer, was accused of running his estranged wife’s license plate through Flock 717 times over nearly two years. Investigators alleged that he used fake justifications, including criminal and narcotics-related searches, to make the searches appear legitimate.
The concerns aren’t limited to individual officers, either. Officials in St. Lucie County, Florida, discovered 14 Flock cameras they had not expected to find, with 11 remaining unclaimed and questions about who had access to the data they collected.
The federal push follows earlier efforts in Congress to restrict the technology. Rep. Thomas Massie introduced the Flock-Off Act in September, which would block federal funding for municipalities that use automated license plate readers and biometric surveillance cameras.
Lawmakers aren’t proposing the same solution
The Ban Flock Act would take a broad approach by restricting federal use of automated license plate readers and using federal funding to encourage similar restrictions at the state and local level. Sanders, Merkley, and Ocasio-Cortez say the measure is intended to address what they describe as the “growing threat of mass government surveillance.”
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, however, has proposed a different approach with the Stop Flock Abuse Act. Instead of banning the technology, his bill would establish federal requirements governing how automated license plate reader data is collected, stored, shared, and searched. Hawley’s proposal would prohibit local governments from selling or sharing vehicle data with non-governmental third parties and require agencies to permanently delete most driver data within 10 days unless it is connected to a criminal investigation.
Flock Safety, on the other hand, has indicated that it supports a federal framework for regulating the technology. In a letter to a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, Flock CEO Garrett Langley said federal rules should preserve law enforcement’s ability to use the cameras while establishing requirements for accountability and responsible data practices.
That leaves Congress considering two markedly different approaches to the same surveillance network. For now, neither proposal has become law. But after months of local disputes and reported abuses, Flock cameras have become a federal issue, with lawmakers now debating how much government access to Americans’ movements should be allowed.
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