Florida is ordering law-enforcement agencies to remove automated license-plate readers from state roads, becoming the first in the country to remove existing Flock cameras from state-controlled highways.
On Monday, the Florida Department of Transportation revoked permits for automated license-plate readers on state roads, giving agencies 30 days to remove them before the state takes them down. The department also said it will no longer approve permits for new readers.
The move reflects a growing public backlash against the technology company Flock Safety, whose cameras are used by law enforcement nationwide to track vehicles and aid investigations.
The Florida Department of Transportation cited the rapid growth of the technology and concerns about its use.
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“While Florida law limits the issuance of permits for LPR systems to law enforcement agencies, the recent exponential increase in deployments along our roadways, coupled with concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns, and surveillance schemes merit immediate action to preserve Floridians’ sovereignty and quality of life,” The department’s chief operating officer, Will Watts, wrote in a memo.
The directive applies to cameras installed within the rights-of-way of the state highway system. It does not prohibit cameras installed on private property, including commercial developments, and does not automatically eliminate cameras on roads controlled by cities and counties.
While Florida is the first state to revoke camera permits and remove existing readers from state roads, other states and local governments began restricting the technology in a bipartisan wave this year. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered all state agencies to pause funding for Flock cameras, while Washington state implemented tighter regulations on data sharing and handling. A number of candidates in local and national races from both parties have also criticized the devices or called for their elimination.
Florida’s decision came days after Gov. Ron DeSantis raised concerns about the technology, even as he defended its usefulness to law enforcement.
“I’m all about having law enforcement have tools to be able to hold criminals accountable,” the Republican governor said at Florida International University last week. “But I don’t want to have this become a surveillance state.”
DeSantis has also pointed to recent examples of alleged misuse of the technology by law-enforcement officers. In one Florida case, an officer was accused of using license-plate-reader data to track an ex-girlfriend.
Some Florida law-enforcement agencies say they are now working to remove the cameras. The Putnam County sheriff’s office said it would discontinue its Flock program, while other agencies affirmed they would comply with the state’s 30-day deadline.
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