State Senator wants to make Flock, other similar cameras illegal in Virginia

Our Take

Credit to WFXR News for flagging this early: State Senator Glen Sturtevant says he'll introduce legislation to outlaw Flock and similar automatic license plate readers in Virginia when the General Assembly reconvenes. That a Republican lawmaker is leading the charge matters — it undercuts the lazy narrative that ALPR skepticism is some partisan fringe position. Warrantless, always-on tracking of every car on the road bothers people across the political spectrum once they understand how it actually works.

We've said it before: these networks aren't just catching stolen cars, they're building a searchable history of where you drive, when, and how often — accessible to far more agencies than most residents realize, often with little oversight on how that data gets shared or retained. A statewide ban would be one of the more significant legislative pushbacks we've seen against this industry, and it's worth watching closely as the bill takes shape ahead of the 2027 session.

If you're in Virginia and want to know whether Flock cameras are already watching your commute, check our camera map, and if you want to help push lawmakers in your own state, see what you can do at take action.