+1 Willy Chotzen & Alek Skarlatos, who took the first step to banning Flock cameras in Oregon
The short version: A Democrat and a Republican in Oregon's legislature are teaming up to push a bill restricting Flock Safety ALPR cameras, per Oregon Rainmakers.
Our Take
When an Assistant Majority Leader and a Deputy Minority Leader agree on anything in 2024, pay attention. Willy Chotzen and Alek Skarlatos crossing the aisle to float a request aimed at reining in Flock Safety cameras is a sign that ALPR overreach isn't a partisan talking point anymore — it's a shared constituent complaint. Credit to Oregon Rainmakers for getting both lawmakers on record early, before the bill language even exists.
We've said it before: mass license plate surveillance doesn't care about your party registration. Flock's networks quietly log every car that passes a camera, building a searchable history of where you drive, when, and how often — all without a warrant, and often without the public ever voting on whether they wanted it. That data has been used far outside the 'find stolen cars' pitch cities get sold on, and leaked or misused access is a recurring problem nationwide. A bipartisan push in Salem to put guardrails on this is worth watching closely as it moves from 'request' to actual bill text.
If you want to see how many of these cameras are already running near you, check our camera map, and if Oregon's move inspires you to push back locally, our take-action page has concrete steps for taking it to your own city council.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Oregon Rainmakers, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.