Florida bans Flock and other license plate readers on state roads
Florida has banned the use of all license plate readers, including Flock cameras, on state-maintained roads, the Florida Department of Transportation said in a memo.
The department has revoked general use permits for automated license plate readers.
The devices must be removed within 30 days, FDOT said. The department will remove all remaining devices subject to the memo.
The use of license plate readers, particularly Flock cameras, has been a topic of controversy across the United States, stemming from concerns regarding privacy, technology and data sharing.
Flock cameras are mounted along roads and take images of license plates and other vehicle characteristics for a database that is sold as a tool to help solve crimes.
There have been mounting privacy concerns about Flock nationwide, along with reports of abuse by police officers.
The company’s CEO, Garrett Langley, recently announced new measures to strengthen privacy, accountability and security amid public scrutiny. Those measures include requiring customers to use an auditing tool to flag abnormal search behavior, retaining license plate information for a week instead of a month, and giving cities and towns more control over data-sharing with other agencies.