Flock Safety surveillance cameras face federal probe, legislation and removal amid privacy backlash

Sep 3, 2026

AI-powered surveillance networks face a major backlash as federal lawmakers introduce the "Flock-Off Act" to ban federal funding for automated license plate readers. Senator Josh Hawley has expanded his congressional probe from Flock Safety to competitors Motorola, Verkada, and Axon. Meanwhile, Florida and Texas have restricted the technology, and local communities are canceling contracts amid growing concerns over warrantless mass surveillance, data privacy, and documented police misuse.

Flock-Off Act proposal

▪The "Flock-Off Act" would allow federal funds to be used for automated license plate readers solely for the purpose of collecting, administering, or enforcing tolls.
▪The proposed "Flock-Off Act" would require federal agencies to remove federally funded license plate readers and require state and local recipients to stop operating them within 180 days.
▪Representatives Thomas Massie and Eric Burlison introduced the "Flock-Off Act" on September 2, 2026, to ban federal funding for automated license plate readers and biometric surveillance cameras.
▪The "Flock-Off Act" is co-sponsored by Representatives Lauren Boebert, Paul Gosar, Ro Khanna, Chip Roy, and Victoria Spartz.

Flock Safety camera technology

▪In August 2026, Flock Safety updated its privacy protocols, reducing default data storage from 30 days to seven days and introducing an abnormal use detection lockout feature.
▪Atlanta-based Flock Safety, founded in 2017 by Garrett Langley, operates an AI-powered network of over 120,000 automated license plate readers across 49 U.S. states.
▪Flock Safety operates on a subscription model where government agencies, businesses, and homeowners associations rent cameras installed in neighborhoods, cities, and along highways.
▪Flock Safety cameras capture high-definition images of passing vehicles, logging license plates, state names, vehicle make, model, color, timestamps, and unique details like bumper stickers.

Mass surveillance concerns

▪The Electronic Frontier Foundation found hundreds of law enforcement searches in Flock Safety's database related to political demonstrations, such as the "No Kings" protests.
▪Jevon Martinez of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, was arrested in Albuquerque after removing Flock Safety cameras and driving them to the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office headquarters in protest.
▪The Institute for Justice has documented multiple reports of innocent individuals being detained or wrongfully jailed due to inaccurate data from Flock Safety cameras.
▪Reports and audits have documented instances of police officers misusing Flock Safety technology to track personal connections, including an officer in Revere, Massachusetts, and another in Kentucky.
▪Critics and privacy advocates argue that Flock Safety's indiscriminate collection of vehicle data creates a warrantless nationwide mass surveillance network vulnerable to law enforcement abuse.

State government responses

▪Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's administration and the Florida Department of Transportation ordered the removal of automated license plate readers from state highway rights-of-way on August 31, 2026.
▪The city of Tempe, Arizona, permanently shut down and deactivated its Flock Safety camera system in August 2026 following concerns over vehicle-location data collection.
▪Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen announced the termination of three contracts with Flock Safety covering license plate readers, speed cameras, and gunshot-detection technology.
▪Texas Governor Greg Abbott froze state funding for Flock Safety cameras in August 2026 amid concerns over data privacy and warrantless tracking.

Federal investigations expansion

▪Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont pledged to introduce legislation to halt operations of Flock Safety and similar automated license plate reader companies.
▪Senator Josh Hawley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, launched an investigation into Flock Safety's data collection policies in August 2026.
▪Senator Josh Hawley expanded his surveillance probe on September 2, 2026, sending inquiry letters to Flock Safety competitors Motorola Solutions Inc., Verkada Inc., and Axon Enterprise Inc.

Campaign political backlash

▪Candidates from both major political parties are targeting Flock Safety cameras in 2026 midterm campaigns, including gubernatorial and Senate races in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Rhode Island.
▪Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his Republican opponent Stacy Garrity both expressed support for a statewide ban on Flock Safety cameras.
▪Wisconsin gubernatorial candidates David Crowley and Tom Tiffany clashed over police surveillance, with Crowley limiting Milwaukee County camera use and Tiffany proposing a state funding pause.
▪Far-left organizations, including chapters of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, have partnered with groups like the Sunrise Movement to campaign against Flock Safety cameras and data centers.