Senator Sanders introduces bill to bar federal agencies from using Flock license plate cameras
US Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation that would prohibit federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers, including systems from Flock. The bill would also impose financial penalties on states and localities that continue using the technology.
Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) introduced a bill on Friday called the Ban Flock Act, which would prohibit federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) or accessing data collected by systems run by local police or private companies. Although Flock is named in the title, the bill's text applies broadly to all ALPR systems rather than naming any single vendor.
The legislation allows exceptions only for toll collection and for uses that Congress might approve through future legislation, which would be required to cap data retention at no more than 48 hours. If enacted, states and localities that fail to comply would lose access to grants from five federal departments, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, beginning the first fiscal year after the law takes effect. Americans would be able to sue the federal government over violations, and state attorneys general could enforce compliance.
Flock under growing pressure
According to Sanders, Flock is the largest ALPR vendor in the country, operating more than 120,000 cameras. The company said in February that its network processes more than 20 billion vehicle reads every month.
Facing mounting community protests, suspended contracts, and a rising number of cancellations, Flock has tightened its policies. In August, CEO Garrett Langley announced a new default data retention period of seven days, down from 30, and said customers must now use an audit tool that locks officers out of the system while unusual searches are reviewed.
In one widely reported incident, a former Milwaukee police officer pleaded guilty to misconduct after searching the system 179 times for information about his then-partner and her ex, listing the reason as "investigation." The bill is co-sponsored by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Jeff Merkley.
