New Legislation Proposed to Regulate License Plate Reading Technology

A Missouri senator is proposing new legislation that could significantly impact how automated license plate reader companies operate.

Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican, intends to introduce the Stop Flock Abuse Act. While specifically mentioning the company Flock Safety, this bill would also encompass other AI-driven surveillance firms.

Hawley outlined seven main requirements that these companies would need to adhere to if the proposal is passed. One of the main stipulations is that they must delete driver data after ten days unless it’s part of an ongoing criminal investigation. Additionally, the data must be encrypted, stay within U.S. borders, and cannot be sold or shared with non-government entities.

Moreover, these ALPR networks would be barred from employing facial recognition technology. There are further mandates for agencies to keep detailed logs of searches conducted, including who initiated them, the reasoning behind them, and what was viewed. Regular audits of these logs are also expected.

The intention here is to avoid the misuse of searches and to create accountability through a documented history for each search performed.

Hawley stated, “AI-powered cameras produced by Flock and its competitors are tracking and creating digital footprints of everyday Americans — a nightmare for individual liberties unless Congress enacts meaningful rules and accountability.” He stressed the necessity for basic safeguards and stressed that law-abiding citizens shouldn’t be treated like criminals.

However, it’s interesting to note that just a few weeks prior, Flock’s chief legal officer, Dan Haley, communicated to Hawley that the company is committed to upholding civil liberties.

Haley emphasized that Flock is a safety technology platform aimed at helping communities improve public safety and prevent crime while respecting individual rights. He mentioned the positive effects Flock has had on communities in Missouri.

This company even expressed willingness for “clear, sensible legislation” that applies uniformly to all vendors rather than relying on subjective judgment calls.

As for data management, Flock noted they have recently recommended reducing the data retention period from 30 to seven days for new law-enforcement clients, although this is not mandatory, as clients still control how long the data stays within the Flock system—potentially up to one year.

Flock also revealed that until the end of 2025, there hadn’t been any standardized requirements for users when conducting searches, which sometimes led to vague documentation.

In a more hands-on incident recently, vandals managed to access a Flock camera, which they described as similar in processing power to a mid-range smartphone, equipped with numerous apps for functions like motion detection and image uploads.

The surveillance site DeFlock reports that Flock Safety manages over 81% of the 142,000+ active surveillance cameras scattered across the United States.