Lawmakers introduce Ban Flock Act to block federal funding for state, local governments that use ALPRS

A bicameral group of federal lawmakers on Monday introduced the Ban Flock Act, a bill that would block federal funding from state and local governments that use automatic license plate readers and prohibit the federal government from using them or the data they collect.  

The legislators — Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. — cited the proliferation of the technology, particularly Flock’s ALPRs, across the country and widespread abuses of the technology by some law enforcement officers as reasons for writing the bill. 

Along with putting a halt to federal funding for state and local agencies that use the tech, the legislation would also prevent all federal agencies from using ALPRs and allow Americans to sue the federal government for violation of their rights through the use of them. 

The bill’s introduction comes after backlash throughout the summer over law enforcement’s use and misuse of the technology. Flock cameras can be found in every state, and the company claims there are over 120,000 installed nationwide. The lawmakers specifically pointed out that ALPRs from Flock and other companies have “threatened the civil liberties of everyday Americans” by sharing state information with federal immigration officials. Other law enforcement officials have pulled Flock data to investigate activists and conducted searches related to protests against ICE raids, in support of Palestinian rights and for ‘No Kings’ demonstrations, among others.

Additionally, a number of high-profile abuse cases by law enforcement in Georgia, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and other states made headlines after officers were found using the technology to spy, stalk or harass romantic interests or exes. 

Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and Merkley were not the only Democrats to take action recently against Flock. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a letter yesterday to Flock CEO Garrett Langley, pressing him and the company on its National Lookup Tool, which lets law enforcement agencies conduct searches across camera data collected by ALPRs outside of their own jurisdictions. 

Schumer asked for a response by Oct. 16. 

And it’s not just Democrats who have taken action to rein in the tech following the controversies. At the end of last month, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced the Stop Flock Abuse Act. It would ban local governments from selling or sharing any vehicle data the cameras collect, and make automatic data deletions a requirement within 10 days, with the exception of information that is being used in a criminal investigation. The bill would also ban surveillance networks from using facial recognition technology.

“Across the country, Big Tech companies like Flock Safety have built a mass surveillance system to harvest Americans’ private and personal data without their consent. AI-powered cameras are keeping track of our every move and weaponizing this data against working people to make record profits. The widespread integration of this technology into American society is unconscionable,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a news release. “I am proud to introduce the Ban Flock Act with Senator Sanders to enforce our constitutional right to privacy and protect Americans from both corporate and government surveillance.”