Florida and Texas governors order removal of Flock surveillance cameras

Republican governors in Florida and Texas are leading a movement to dismantle the use of Flock Safety automated license plate readers (ALPRs) on state roadways, citing privacy and surveillance concerns.

In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis ordered the removal of Flock cameras from state highways within 30 days, citing concerns over “surveillance creep,” data privacy, and misuse. Several Florida counties, including Franklin and Jacksonville, have already begun disabling their own systems in response. Similarly, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed state agencies to halt funding for the technology, leading the Dallas Police Department to shut down hundreds of cameras.

In Wisconsin, multiple law enforcement agencies have suspended or canceled Flock contracts. A primary driver for recent cancellations is the revelation that Flock had been collecting five years of traffic data from municipal cameras and repackaging it as a commercial analytics product. Officials in Racine County expressed a loss of faith in the company, stating they would not participate in a system that appears to monetize information about innocent people.

While many law enforcement officials acknowledge the technology’s effectiveness in solving crimes, the political landscape is shifting. Legislators in Indiana and Kansas are also considering new restrictions or standards to regulate the use of these surveillance tools.