Bipartisan Bills Target AI-Powered License Plate Surveillance Networks
Summary
Two federal bills would restrict AI-powered license plate reader use and strengthen safeguards amid concerns about mass surveillance, misuse, and data protection. The article also reports a researcher’s discovery of an exposed Flock access token.
Key points
- Sen. Josh Hawley introduced a bill proposing limits on data sharing, a 10-day retention cap, encryption, search approvals and audits, and a ban on facial recognition in ALPR cameras.
- Sens. Bernie Sanders and Jeff Merkley and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proposed barring federal ALPR use and withholding federal funds from states that deploy the cameras.
- The proposals address ALPR companies broadly, including Flock, Motorola, and Axon.
- Privacy advocates cite mass surveillance and misuse risks; Flock says it supports guardrails, accountability, and oversight.
- The article says researcher Joshua Michael found a Flock website access token that allegedly enabled unauthenticated queries of a geographic information system and access to location data.
- It also cites alleged improper police searches and unauthorized camera installations as examples of concerns around ALPR networks.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Introduction of two congressional bills addressing AI-powered automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras
- Impact
- The proposed bills would impose safeguards or broader restrictions on ALPR use, including limits on data sharing and retention, oversight requirements, and restrictions on federal use and funding. The debate follows concerns about mass surveillance, alleged misuse of searches, and wrongful arrests. The proposals could affect Flock and other ALPR companies, including Motorola and Axon.
People
Alexandria Ocasio CortezCo-sponsored a bill proposing to block federal use of ALPR cameras and restrict federal funding to states deploying them.Bernie SandersCo-sponsored a bill proposing to block federal use of ALPR cameras and restrict federal funding to states deploying them.Chad MarlowACLU senior policy counsel who commented on the proposed legislation.Jeff MerkleyCo-sponsored a bill proposing to block federal use of ALPR cameras and restrict federal funding to states deploying them.Josh HawleyIntroduced the Stop Flock Abuse Act and raised concerns about ALPR cameras at a Senate hearing.Joshua MichaelCybersecurity researcher who published a map of Flock-connected devices and said he found an exposed access token on Flock’s website.Lindsey IsaacsTestified at a hearing after being arrested and jailed for 13 days due to incorrect data from a Flock Safety ALPR.