Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) has introduced the Ban Flock Act, a bill that would prohibit federal agencies from utilizing automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) or accessing data collected by such systems operated by local law enforcement and private entities. The legislation, announced on Friday, targets the technology broadly rather than naming Flock specifically, despite the company being the primary target of the regulatory push.
While the bill does not explicitly mention Flock by name, it aims to restrict the use of ALPR networks across the board. Exceptions are permitted solely for toll collection purposes and for uses explicitly authorized by future congressional legislation, which would be required to cap data retention at 48 hours or less.
The measure imposes financial penalties on state and local governments that fail to comply. Beginning in the first fiscal year after enactment, non-compliant jurisdictions would lose access to grants from five federal departments, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, unless they prohibit the use of this surveillance technology. Additionally, the bill grants individuals the right to sue the federal government for violations and empowers state attorneys general to enforce the law.
Flock currently stands as the largest ALPR vendor in the United States, operating a network of over 120,000 cameras. According to company statements from February, the system processes more than 20 billion vehicle reads monthly. However, the company has faced intensifying backlash from communities protesting the technology. Several municipalities have suspended use or terminated contracts, with cancellations accelerating in August.
In response to growing pressure, Flock CEO Garrett Langley announced changes in August, including a reduction of the default data retention period from 30 days to seven days. The company also introduced an audit tool that locks officers out of the system when unusual search activity is detected. These safeguards come after high-profile abuses, such as the case of a former Milwaukee officer who pleaded guilty to misconduct after conducting 179 searches on his ex-partner.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) have joined Sanders as co-sponsors of the bill.
I didn’t realize one company was processing twenty billion reads a month. The sheer volume is genuinely unsettling when you think about it.
Penalties sound good on paper, but will local sheriffs actually care about losing a few grants? Seems more like a symbolic gesture.
Wait, does the 48-hour retention cap apply to ongoing criminal investigations? That feels like it could hinder legitimate police work significantly.
Privacy advocates have been screaming about this for years. Good to see federal action finally matching the scale of the problem.