Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader network has emerged as a significant campaign issue during the current midterm election cycle, with candidates from both parties taking positions on the technology’s use across the country. The company operates cameras in approximately 6,000 communities in every state except Alaska, recording vehicle information that law enforcement can search and share to investigate crimes.
Candidates have taken varied stances on the technology. In Pennsylvania, Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro announced support for a statewide ban, while his Republican opponent Stacy Garrity called the cameras an invasive privacy violation. Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race featured competing proposals, with Democratic nominee David Crowley highlighting restrictions he implemented as county executive, while Republican U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany proposed pausing state funding and establishing new privacy protections. In Texas, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico declared opposition to the cameras in his state. Michigan’s Democratic House nominee William Lawrence labeled them un-American, and a Florida Democratic Senate candidate is marketing merchandise opposing the technology.
Flock Safety has defended its technology as a vital crime-fighting tool, stating the cameras have helped solve approximately one million crimes and reunite roughly 10,000 missing people with their families. The company emphasizes existing safeguards and encourages communities to establish appropriate rules through collaborative processes rather than outright bans. Law enforcement organizations have similarly expressed strong support, with policing leaders citing the technology’s investigative value.
The growing political backlash reflects broader concerns about technological surveillance, artificial intelligence expansion, and corporate power. Litigation over constitutional questions regarding the cameras has proceeded, and documented cases of officers misusing the technology have heightened privacy advocates’ concerns. An attorney for the Institute for Justice attributed increased political opposition partly to activism raising awareness about the technology’s reach and implications.
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