Two new bills introduced in Congress highlight a growing bipartisan concern over artificial intelligence-powered automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras, signaling increased political scrutiny for companies like Flock, Motorola, and Axon.
On Wednesday, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced the Stop Flock Abuse Act, aiming to enhance safeguards for AI-enabled cameras and protect constitutional rights. Separately, on Friday, Senators Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), alongside Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), introduced a broader bill. This legislation proposes to prohibit the federal government from using ALPR cameras and to withhold federal funding from states that deploy them. It would also grant Americans the right to sue the federal government for rights violations stemming from ALPR deployment.
Senator Sanders criticized the technology, stating that companies like Flock track individuals' movements, from doctor visits to school drop-offs, raising concerns about a surveillance state where AI companies profit from tracking citizens. Senator Hawley, speaking at a recent hearing, emphasized that the Constitution's protections, including the right to be presumed innocent and the right to privacy, remain relevant today, particularly concerning the interconnected and AI-searchable nature of ALPR networks.
Flock Safety issued a statement affirming its support for legislation that establishes guardrails for License Plate Reader use, believing such frameworks can preserve law enforcement's ability to use a tool proven to enhance public safety. The company expressed satisfaction with lawmakers' engagement, stating that public safety technologies are most effective when coupled with strong policy, accountability, and oversight.
The growing opposition to ALPR cameras is fueled by grassroots campaigns across the political spectrum, which have highlighted risks such as mass surveillance, misuse by officers for personal tracking, and wrongful arrests due to mistaken identity. Lindsey Isaacs, a Floridian, testified at Hawley's hearing about her 13-day imprisonment, including solitary confinement, due to erroneous data from a Flock Safety ALPR, which misidentified her car as being involved in a crime.
Cybersecurity researcher Joshua Michael has also contributed to the scrutiny. On September 23, he published a surveillance map indicating approximately 300,000 Flock-connected devices nationwide, with over 170,000 Flock cameras in use. This figure contrasts with Flock's consistent claim of deploying only 120,000 cameras. Hawley cited Michael's work during the hearing to underscore the extensive surveillance network built by Flock. Michael further alleged that in November 2025, he discovered an exposed access token on Flock's website that allowed him to query a geographic information system and extract location data without authentication. Michael claims Flock has since filed a trademark infringement complaint against him, sent a cease-and-desist letter threatening litigation, and informed its customers via email that he is a "malicious actor" and that law enforcement had been notified. Michael has publicly stated he will not back down.
Hawley's proposed legislation, while less comprehensive than the House Democrats' bill, would prohibit ALPR companies and local governments from selling or sharing data with non-governmental third parties, shield driver data from public records requests, and block third-party vendors from accessing it. It would also mandate a written approval process for officers before using the technology for searches, require routine supervisor audits, encrypt data, and limit data retention to 10 days, a reduction from Flock's current 30-day policy in many cases. Additionally, the bill would prevent ALPR cameras from being equipped with facial recognition technology.
Privacy advocates, including the ACLU, view the bipartisan legislative efforts as a positive development but suggest that a complete ban on ALPRs is the only way to fully protect individuals. Recent incidents have further fueled concerns, including the arrest of five Indianapolis police officers on September 23 for allegedly conducting numerous unauthorized Flock searches to track personal contacts. Similar instances of improper police searches have been reported across the country. On Thursday, officials in St. Lucie County, Florida, discovered 14 unauthorized Flock cameras, highlighting instances where the company has allegedly placed or maintained cameras without proper permits.
