Bernie Sanders, AOC, and Jeff Merkley Are Introducing the Ban Flock Act

Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the Ban Flock Act to halt the spread of AI-driven automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) and related camera systems. The bill would bar federal agencies from using ALPRs, cut off federal grant funding to state and local governments that operate or contract for this technology, and create a private right of action allowing people to sue the federal government for rights violations tied to ALPR use. Sponsors argue the measure is necessary to protect Americans’ freedom of movement and curb what they portray as a growing corporate-driven surveillance apparatus.

The measure targets Flock Safety, identified as the largest ALPR vendor with roughly 120,000 cameras that reportedly scan billions of vehicles monthly and whose newer systems can capture people and link images to databases of phone numbers, relatives and records. Flock also offers a national lookup tool that can surface extensive personal data across jurisdictions. The release cites documented abuses - data shared with immigration authorities, searches used to investigate protesters, and officers using plate-reader data to stalk partners - and notes at least 56 municipalities have cut ties with the company. Sponsors frame the act as a check on corporate profits built from mass surveillance and a defense of constitutional privacy.