New bill takes aim at license plate reader cameras
The short version: A Michigan lawmaker's new bill to regulate license plate readers like Flock is a reminder that most states still have zero rules governing this surveillance network.
Our Take
Credit to 13 ON YOUR SIDE for flagging State Senator Jim Runestad's push to put guardrails on license plate reader systems, including Flock Safety's camera network. The fact that this is newsworthy at all tells you everything about where things stand: thousands of these cameras are already scanning plates, logging movement patterns, and feeding data to police departments and private companies across the country, often with no statute telling anyone how long that data can be kept, who can access it, or what it can be used for.
Legislation like this matters because right now the rules are whatever each local police department or vendor contract says they are, which is to say, barely any rules at all. A bill that forces transparency, retention limits, or audit requirements is a start, but the devil is always in the details — vague language about 'legitimate law enforcement purposes' has a way of swallowing whole the privacy protections it's supposed to create. We'll be watching how this one is written and whether it has teeth.
If you want to see how many of these cameras are already running near you, check our map, and if you want to push back on unchecked ALPR deployment in your own state, our take-action page has resources to get started.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of 13 ON YOUR SIDE, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.