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Flock cameras must be pulled from Florida state roads within 30 days, DeSantis orders
FOX 13 Tampa Bay • • nation
Key Points:
- Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has ordered local law enforcement agencies to remove automated license plate readers (ALPRs) from state highway rights of way within 30 days, citing privacy concerns, misuse reports, and rapid surveillance expansion.
- Governor Ron DeSantis supports limiting surveillance tools to prevent Florida from becoming a "surveillance state" and calls for legislative action, including an artificial intelligence bill of rights, while Democratic leaders criticize the lack of safeguards.
- Law enforcement agencies defend ALPRs as valuable tools for solving crimes, citing cases where the technology helped locate suspects and missing persons.
- Several Florida officers have been accused of misusing ALPR data for personal reasons, intensifying privacy concerns and prompting calls for stronger oversight.
- Flock Safety, a leading ALPR provider, is implementing mandatory safeguards such as audit systems to detect misuse, reducing data retention periods, and requiring case codes for most searches, but privacy advocates remain concerned about broad surveillance implications.
