Republican and Democratic lawmakers introduce bills to restrict Flock automated license plate readers

Lawmakers from both major parties are introducing federal and state legislation to restrict Flock Safety automated license plate readers amid growing privacy concerns. Rep. Pat Harrigan, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and Sen. Josh Hawley have filed measures to require warrants, cut federal funding, or mandate data deletion within 24 hours. While Flock CEO Garrett Langley defends the technology as essential for public safety and understaffed police departments, several municipalities have canceled contracts following reports of officer misuse.

Bipartisan legislative proposals

• ▪Michigan Representative Pat Harrigan's federal ALPR bill would withhold 10% of certain federal criminal justice funding from states that fail to adopt qualifying privacy protections.
• ▪Representative Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., introduced a bill on October 15, 2026, to restrict automated license plate readers, requiring probable cause warrants for most searches and deleting records within 24 hours.
• ▪Missouri Senator Josh Hawley introduced the 'Stop Flock Abuse Act' last month to regulate automated license plate readers through stricter limits on data, security, and search functions.
• ▪Representative Rashida Tlaib introduced the 'Get the Flock Out of Our Communities Act' on October 14, 2026, to prohibit federal funding for automated license plate readers like Flock and mandate state divestment.

Flock camera surveillance capabilities

• ▪Flock Safety's Condor cameras can detect, track, and zoom in on individual people in live video feeds without using facial recognition.
• ▪A third-party company called VIDIZMO has offered software to add facial recognition capabilities to Flock Safety cameras.
• ▪Flock Safety's FreeForm feature allows users to perform plain-language natural language searches across a national network of cameras spanning multiple states.
• ▪Flock Safety cameras automatically scan and record license plates, vehicle brand, color, model, and physical characteristics such as dents and bumper stickers.

Privacy concerns

• ▪An August 2026 Washington Post investigation found at least 50 law enforcement officers were accused or charged with misusing license plate readers, with Flock systems involved in 46 cases.
• ▪Local police officers used Flock camera searches to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to track a woman who self-administered an abortion in Texas.
• ▪Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley stated at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 on October 14, 2026, that privacy risks are a necessary trade-off for accountability and crime reduction.
• ▪Representative Pat Harrigan's bill prohibits automated license plate readers from searching or categorizing vehicles by political or religious bumper stickers, flags, or expressive attributes.

Constitutional concerns

• ▪Civil liberties groups including the ACLU, EFF, and Institute for Justice are litigating whether blanket ALPR camera surveillance requires a Fourth Amendment warrant.
• ▪Representative Pat Harrigan's bill creates a civil cause of action allowing individuals to sue for Fourth Amendment ALPR search violations for at least $1,000 per violation.
• ▪Michigan House Bill 5492 and Senate Bill 1131 propose requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant or request before accessing government or private ALPR data.

Law enforcement crime-solving benefits

• ▪Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley stated that ALPR surveillance technology helps police departments address severe staffing shortages and uncompleted job positions.
• ▪President Donald Trump stated on September 13, 2026, that he supports Flock cameras for law enforcement crime prevention despite civil rights infringement concerns.
• ▪Inkster Mayor Byron Nolen announced a 10-year contract expanding Flock technology in Inkster, Michigan, to include 20 plate readers, 5 video cameras, 48 gunshot detectors, and a drone.

Community contract cancellations

• ▪Flock Safety conducted staff layoffs following growing national privacy backlash and canceled municipal contracts.
• ▪Southeast Michigan communities including Eastpointe, Milford, Madison Heights, and Bedford Township canceled their contracts with Flock Safety over privacy and misuse concerns.