Lawmakers Introduce Multiple Laws to Curb Flock After 404 Media Coverage

Multiple lawmakers across party lines have filed bills to sharply limit federal and local use of Flock’s automatic license plate reader (ALPR) network after investigative reporting exposed how the system is used. The Ban Flock Act, led by Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Senator Jeff Merkley, would bar federal agencies from using ALPRs, block federal funding to state and local governments that deploy the cameras, and create a private right of action for Americans whose rights are violated. Sponsors frame the bills as a response to AI-powered, pervasive surveillance that tracks routine activities and profits private companies while enabling government monitoring.

Lawmakers cite specific findings: state-level Flock lookups available to federal immigration officials, local police using Flock to investigate immigration protests and “No Kings” demonstrations, and a company webinar teaching officers how to surveil protesters. Flock altered product controls after scrutiny, restricting searches in some states and adding real-time blocks for improper queries. Senator Josh Hawley proposed the Stop Flock Abuse Act, requiring written approvals for searches, mandating deletion of driver data after ten days (with exceptions), and banning facial recognition in ALPR networks. Representatives Greg Casar and Shontel Brown have also questioned FBI plans for nationwide ALPR access after reporting revealed nationwide searches, including a case involving an abortion.