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The short version: A bipartisan Ohio push to rein in Flock ALPR use, spotlighted by Dalmar TV, shows even lawmakers are waking up to the surveillance sprawl in their own backyards.
Our Take
Credit to Dalmar TV for surfacing this NBC4 Columbus report: when Democrats and Republicans in Ohio's statehouse agree on anything these days, it's worth paying attention. The fact that they're finding common ground on reining in Flock Safety's license plate readers tells you just how far these networks have outpaced any real public debate or oversight. Nobody voted to have their daily movements logged by a private company's cameras — it just happened, county by county, city by city, often through no-bid contracts and quiet police department sign-offs.
Ohio joining the growing list of states where lawmakers are pushing back matters because it breaks the myth that ALPR expansion is inevitable or uncontroversial. Bipartisan skepticism is exactly the kind of pressure that can force transparency requirements, data retention limits, or outright bans on sharing plate data with ICE and other agencies with no local accountability. It's a sign that the surveillance dragnet is finally facing friction instead of a rubber stamp.
If you're in Ohio or anywhere else, don't wait on the legislature to do the mapping for you — check our camera map to see what's already watching your streets, and hit up take-action for ways to push your own local officials on the same questions Columbus lawmakers are finally asking.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Dalmar TV, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.