Fulcher on PRIVACY Act

Our Take

Credit where it's due: KTVB's report on Rep. Russ Fulcher's co-sponsorship of this bill highlights a real gap in the law. Right now, federal agencies can often sidestep warrant requirements simply by buying access to data that private companies and local police departments already collected — including the location histories ALPR networks like Flock Safety generate every time your plate rolls past a camera. A bill that puts guardrails on that federal backdoor is worth watching closely.

But don't let a Washington headline distract from the local reality. Most ALPR data in this country isn't collected by the feds at all — it's hoovered up by city police departments and HOAs running Flock Safety cameras, then stored in databases that get shared across state lines with little oversight and even less public notice. A federal law regulating agency access doesn't do much if your own town council never had a public vote on installing the cameras in the first place.

That's why we think the fight against mass surveillance has to happen on both fronts at once: push for federal limits like the one Fulcher is backing, and also show up at your local council meetings where these camera networks actually get approved. Check our map to see what's already watching your neighborhood, and hit take action for tools to push back where it counts most — close to home.