The city of Alexandria wants to get rid of its Flock automated license-plate-reading cameras amid nationwide pushback against the company for reported misuse of its data.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins and multiple City Council members called for review and potential removal of Flock-brand cameras over concerns of potential invasions of privacy. Other cities across the country have reported abuse, such as officials using the license-plate readers to stalk ex-partners and track people’s movements unrelated to any crime.
The Institute for Justice, a nonprofit law firm based in Arlington, has documented more than 200 alleged instances of misuse across the U.S. since 2018. There are also concerns the information could be shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to unlawfully track immigrants.