In a move that underscores growing concerns over privacy and civil liberties, a bipartisan effort in the United States Congress is taking aim at the widespread use of automated license plate readers, particularly those produced by Flock Safety. The initiative seeks to curtail the use of these surveillance tools by leveraging federal highway funding. Lawmakers are positioning the financial support of states for highways, roads, and bridges as a bargaining chip, proposing a bill that would withhold 10 percent of this aid from states that fail to enact restrictions on Flock cameras and similar devices.
The proposed legislation, informally known as the No FLOCK Act — an acronym for Federal License-Plate Observation and Camera Keeping — aims to permit the use of these cameras in only five specific scenarios. This initiative reflects mounting backlash over potential misuse by law enforcement, as these devices are increasingly used to track the movements of vehicles connected to criminal activities. The bipartisan sponsorship of the bill by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from the Chicago suburbs, and Congressman Michael Cloud, a Republican from Texas, highlights the cross-party concerns regarding the implications of unchecked surveillance.[Read more](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/lawmakers-target-flock-cameras-with-a-threat-to-highway-funding/)
Flock Safety cameras have been adopted by numerous law enforcement agencies across the country, prompting debates over the balance between public safety and individual privacy. These devices, which have the capacity to store significant amounts of data, offer law enforcement a tool to solve crimes more efficiently but have also raised alarms about the broader implications for privacy rights. Critics argue that the growth in usage of such technology could lead to invasive monitoring practices that infringe upon civil liberties.
In addition to the legislative push by Krishnamoorthi and Cloud, privacy advocacy groups have voiced concerns over the potential for these technologies to be used beyond their stated intent. Organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation have called for stricter controls and clearer guidelines on the deployment of automated license plate readers to prevent potential abuses.
The bill’s introduction sheds light on a national debate over the balance between public safety and individual freedoms in the digital age. As states assess the implications of the proposed legislation, the conversation surrounding surveillance technologies and their role in modern policing continues to evolve.