TAMPA, Fla. — Florida candidates for governor are weighing in on Flock cameras after a new order from Gov. Ron DeSantis gave local agencies less than a month to remove license plate readers stationed along state-owned roads.
The order does not eliminate Flock cameras across Florida, but it has expanded a broader debate over whether the technology should be restricted, regulated or removed altogether.
Flock cameras have become a campaign issue in Florida’s 2026 governor’s race as voters continue to raise concerns about technology and privacy.
“Affordability is not the number one issue for every voter. It may be the number one issue broadly putting to polls, but there are some voters who are really worried about big tech,” said Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida.
Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a candidate for governor, has called for a full stop, followed by a review of the system.
“I know why law enforcement wants these,” Donalds said. “But when I talk to the sheriffs, I’m like, listen. We got to have strict protections for people’s Fourth Amendment rights. We’re not going to have a surveillance state in Florida.”
Democratic candidate David Jolly has taken a more restrained approach, saying lawmakers should return to Tallahassee to consider reforms, including warrant requirements to access the cameras.
“We don’t want to handicap the ability to respond to crime,” Jolly said. “But I think what people rightly are now concerned about is these cameras are all through communities, and they essentially are surveilling people.”
According to a YouGov poll, 46% of Americans oppose Flock cameras in their community, while 38% support them.
The issue is expected to be taken up by the Legislature, where lawmakers could consider warrant requirements, limits on how long data can be stored and penalties for misuse. The next regular legislative session begins in March.