Lawmakers Take Aim at Flock License Plate Readers with Three New Bills
More legislation is being proposed on Capitol Hill to restrict the use of automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) by federal and state law enforcement, including technology made by Flock Safety and other companies.
The Ban Flock Act would largely prohibit federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers. It would also restrict federal funding tied to the technology and allow Americans to sue the federal government for alleged violation of their rights through the use of such readers.
The bill comes amid growing scrutiny over the use of ALPR technology, including Flock cameras.
In a press release, sponsors Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) say Flock cameras are threatening the “civil liberties of everyday Americans.”
The lawmakers said Flock cameras have shared state information with federal immigration officials, that law enforcement has used Flock data to investigate activists, and that officers have used plate-reader data to track people they wanted to meet without their consent.
In a statement to MeriTalk, a Flock spokesperson said the company “strongly supports legislation establishing guardrails governing license plate reader use.”
“We welcome these conversations in Congress because we believe public safety technologies are powerful tools best used in concert with strong policy, accountability and oversight mechanisms,” stated the company.
Republican Legislation
Meanwhile, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), is taking a different approach, favoring regulation instead of a ban. His Stop Flock Abuse Act would prohibit local governments from selling or sharing vehicle data collected by the cameras, require automatic deletion of the data within 10 days with exceptions, and ban surveillance networks from using facial-recognition technology.
There’s also the Flock-Off Act introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). The legislation would prohibit federal funds from being used to purchase, install, maintain, operate or upgrade covered camera systems, including license plate readers. Unlike the Ban Flock Act, however, it would not broadly prohibit federal agencies from using the technology.
