Three progressive lawmakers introduced legislation on Friday that would bar federal agencies from deploying automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) and freeze federal grant money for state and local governments that hold contracts with ALPR vendors. The bill, called the Ban Flock Act, was unveiled by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
The measure would also create a private right of action, allowing Americans to sue the federal government over its use of the technology. The push comes amid growing scrutiny of ALPR systems, particularly those operated by Flock Safety, which has built a nationwide network of more than 120,000 cameras.
Flock’s devices do more than capture license plates. They also compile what the company calls a “vehicle signature,” recording a car’s make, model, color and distinctive features such as bumper stickers, decals and accessories. That capability has raised alarms among privacy advocates and some lawmakers.
“Going to the doctor? Flock knows. Dropping your kid off at school? Flock is tracking you. Flock is always watching,” Sanders said in a statement. “We cannot allow America to become a surveillance state where a handful of AI oligarchs profit by giving the government the power to track our every movement.”
While Flock has drawn the most attention, it is not the only company facing congressional backlash. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduced the Flock-Off Act last month, which would block municipalities and localities from purchasing, installing, maintaining, operating or upgrading ALPRs and biometric surveillance cameras. The bill’s title references Flock, but its provisions would apply to other vendors as well.
Earlier this month, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) led the first congressional hearing on AI-powered surveillance camera manufacturers as part of an investigation into Flock. Witnesses included lawyers, a sheriff, a cybersecurity engineer and a driver who was wrongly accused of a crime based on the technology. Hawley noted that he had invited Flock’s CEO, as well as executives from Axon Enterprise, Motorola and Verkada, but none appeared. Weeks before the hearing, Flock sent Hawley a letter outlining a series of policy changes.
In that letter, Flock’s chief legal officer, Dan Haley, said the company does not believe “Americans’ privacy should depend on one vendor’s good judgement, its current leadership or its commercial incentives.” Flock did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
The Ban Flock Act is the latest sign that concerns over AI-driven surveillance are moving from the margins to the center of Capitol Hill’s tech policy debate. With bipartisan interest in reining in ALPRs, the legislation could become a flashpoint in the broader fight over government use of artificial intelligence and facial recognition.
