Port St. Lucie removes 18 Flock cameras as privacy concerns grow

Nikita RamosPORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —

Florida’s deadline to remove Flock cameras from highway rights-of-way is Wednesday, Sept. 30, but Port St. Lucie is also removing 18 cameras from city streets after pausing its program due to privacy concerns.

Florida’s Department of Transportation mandated that local agencies remove Flock cameras from state highway rights-of-way by today. These cameras capture license plate information that law enforcement can use to investigate crimes. However, the state order does not apply to cameras on city streets or county roads, leaving local governments to set their own rules.

In Port St. Lucie, the city commission voted to have the vendor remove 18 cameras today after pausing its Flock program. During Monday’s city commission meeting, one resident said, “Mass surveillance is wrong and has a negative impact on those under that surveillance. We have become too comfortable with bleeding-edge technologies without proper research or testing.”

Critics have raised concerns about how the cameras store the data and who can access it. Flock, the company behind the cameras, said the agency using the system controls the data, not Flock. The company also said that data is deleted by default after 30 days and that every search is logged, including details about who conducted the search, why, and when.

Another resident urged the city to take broader action, saying, “I’m asking you to remove the city’s Flock cameras and take broader action in St. Lucie County has taken in its rights-of-way.”

While the state’s order applies only to cameras on state highways, Port St. Lucie is taking its own steps by removing the 18 cameras from city streets. The city’s decision reflects ongoing concerns about privacy and surveillance technology.

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