Flock Safety cameras are seemingly everywhere — but what are these automated license plate readers actually recording, and is the technology being abused?
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri launched a congressional investigation Wednesday into Flock Safety, a company that operates a nationwide network of automated license plate reader cameras.
"Flock has assembled an unprecedented national surveillance network," Hawley said in a statement. "They boast more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states and more than 20 billion vehicle scans every month."
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In a letter to Flock announcing his inquiry, Hawley said Congress never authorized the network the company has built and that the American people want to know who has access to their personal data.
Progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said Thursday he will soon introduce legislation to stop Flock and AI mass surveillance, a sign of how quickly the issue is becoming bipartisan.
The concern is not limited to Washington. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said this week that Flock cameras are "out of control" and called for legislation to combat them. In Tempe, Arizona, local leaders announced they are done with the company.
"While the cameras have helped Tempe Police solve crimes, recent misuse of automated license plate reader systems in Arizona and nationwide has raised concerns about the risks that come with the technology," the city said in a statement.
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Flock, meanwhile, is emphasizing on social media how its cameras help society.
"A human trafficking suspect was arrested after weeks of searching," the company said. "He was found with the support of Flock."
Flock CEO Garrett Langley noted that in Michigan alone, 53 missing people were detected by the company's cameras.
