Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced a bill aimed at prohibiting the federal government from utilizing automatic license plate readers (ALPRs), including those operated by Flock.
The proposed legislation, dubbed the "Ban Flock Act," would prevent federal agencies from using ALPRs or accessing data from readers managed by local law enforcement and private entities. While the bill's title specifically mentions Flock, its text applies to all ALPR systems.
Exceptions to the ban would be limited to toll collection and specific uses approved by Congress through future legislation, which would also mandate data retention periods of no more than 48 hours.
Non-compliant state and local governments could face financial penalties in the form of lost grants from five federal departments, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, starting from the first fiscal year after the bill's enactment.
Individuals would have the right to sue the federal government for violations, and state attorneys general would be empowered to enforce the law.
Flock is identified as the largest ALPR vendor in the U.S., with over 120,000 cameras, processing more than 20 billion vehicle reads monthly.
In response to public pressure and increasing contract terminations by cities, Flock has recently implemented stricter rules. CEO Garrett Langley announced a reduction in the default data retention period from 30 days to seven days. Additionally, customers are now required to use an audit tool that locks officers out pending review for unusual searches.
Notable cases of misuse include a former Milwaukee officer who pleaded guilty to misconduct after conducting 179 searches for his ex-partner and her ex, citing "investigation" as the reason. Investor Jason Calacanis has suggested a "double-key" system for search approvals, a concept Langley indicated is under consideration.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) are co-sponsors of the bill.
Flock CEO Garrett Langley is scheduled to speak at TechCrunch's upcoming Disrupt event in San Francisco, from October 13-15.
