Florida Bans AI License Plate Readers on State Highways Amid Growing Privacy Concerns

Florida halts all new license plate reader camera permits and orders existing ones removed within 30 days

Amid a growing backlash against license plate reader (LPR) cameras and citing concerns over privacy, Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration on Monday moved to shut down the newly ubiquitous technology on state roads. The cameras, made by Flock Safety and other companies, use artificial intelligence to track suspects and flag speeders. But reports of abuse by police in Florida and around the country have sparked a bipartisan push to rethink their use. A memo from the Florida Department of Transportation to local law enforcement agencies stated that the authority to use the cameras on state roads is being withdrawn. "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 memo from FDOT chief operating officer Will Watts states. DeSantis himself has soured on the cameras. "No one has given law enforcement more tools than we have, but they need to be targeted at criminals," DeSantis told reporters at an event in Jacksonville on Monday. "If they can create a dossier on your movements, they would be able to make a fortune in selling that to companies for advertising and product placement." DeSantis also raised the specter of the COVID-19 pandemic-era lockdowns as another reason to block the cameras from creating a "surveillance state." "I don't think they intend to do general surveillance, but I will tell you, if we had all this around the country when COVID happened, you absolutely would have seen those turned on people who were outside of lockdown orders in California," DeSantis said. He added that while local sheriffs likely have used the technology effectively, the potential for abuse is too great. "You also have to say how this can be misused," DeSantis said. "I don't think we have really strong penalties at all for that type of misuse." According to the memo, local law enforcement agencies that previously received a permit to use the cameras to take them down within 30 days. The memo also states there aren't going to be any more permits given going forward. "Further, as of the date of this memorandum, the Department will use its discretionary authority to cease the issuance of all future requests for LPR systems within its jurisdictional authority," Watts wrote.

Florida orders removal of Flock cameras from state highways

Florida is halting the use of automated license plate readers (LPRs), including Flock Safety's controversial cameras, on state highways, its transportation department announced Monday. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) said in a memo to local law enforcement agencies that they should "cease the issuance of all future requests for LPR systems within its jurisdictional authority." The order comes as a growing number of jurisdictions throughout the country, including the entire state of Texas, move to restrict the technology. Flock cameras specifically have remained at the helm of this controversy after reports of law enforcement officers' misuse of their data came to light. "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," FDOT wrote Monday. The order would apply to cameras on the Sunshine State's highway system -- leaving their use on city and county roads up to local officials' discretion. As of Tuesday afternoon, local sheriff's offices in Putnam and Clay counties have already moved to remove all LPRs from their jurisdictions' roadways. "Over the past several weeks, legitimate questions have continued to emerge regarding privacy, data sharing, governmental oversight and the future regulation of this technology," Putnam County Sheriff H.D. DeLoach said in a Monday statement. "I believe the responsible course is to discontinue our program and cancel our contract at this time." LPRs at Flock, specifically, offer a system of AI-enabled video cameras and audio detection devices that not only record license plate numbers, but collect specific details about a car to create what the company calls a "vehicle signature." Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) expressed concerns surrounding the technology following FDOTs block, saying in a Monday press conference the decision to restrict LPRs would keep the Sunshine State from becoming a "digital AI surveillance state where everything we're doing is being tracked at all times." "If you want to get in your car and you want to go down to Buc-ee's in St. Augustine, it's really none of the government's damn business if you're doing that, right," he said. "I know you can make money selling cameras, but you can really make a lot of money selling people's data." The governor also called for the state lawmakers to introduce legislation on LPRs, adding that the memo could be revoked by the gubernatorial candidate who replaces him in January. Other local officials are criticizing FDOT's expedited timeline to remove these cameras. Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner, for example, told WLRN that "this blanket ban" would "have serious consequences for public safety." The growing scrutiny around LPRs has reached more than 150 cities who have made similar moves to cancel or reject LPRs as of Tuesday, according to antisurveillance organization. DeFlock Flock and Axon, another top LPR producer, did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comments.

Florida bans highway license-plate readers as backlash over surveillance spreads

NEW YORK, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Florida has banned local police from placing cameras that read license plates on its state highways in response to growing divisions over law enforcement's use of technology supplied by Flock Safety and others to track vehicles in many parts of the U.S. Florida's Department of Transportation said it would revoke previous permits for the cameras and no longer issue new permits within its jurisdiction. "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," it said in a memo issued earlier this week. The memo followed remarks from Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who last week said the use of automated license plate readers has "gotten out of control." Another Republican governor, Greg Abbott of Texas, last week ordered state agencies to pause funding for Flock cameras. A Flock Safety spokesperson said in a statement that Flock's technology helps solve crimes in Florida and throughout the country. "Rather than banning a critical public safety tool, we support thoughtful legislation and strong privacy, transparency, and accountability guard rails that ensure technology is used responsibly while preserving law enforcement's ability to use effective tools to keep people safe," the statement said. The move by Florida comes amid growing public backlash over cameras provided by the Atlanta-based company. Across 49 states, Flock's network of around 120,000 AI-powered cameras, affixed to streets and highways, automatically read license plates and record vehicles as they pass. They have been billed as a security tool that allows law enforcement to quickly identify and catch criminals, but have been under fire for misuse by police departments and criticized for violating citizens' privacy. Together with AI data centers, Flock cameras have emerged as a flashpoint in this year's midterm elections, with candidates increasingly attacking their opponents by tying them to the technology. Americans are divided on whether Flock cameras are a good idea, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday. Some 38% of the country supports the use of Flock cameras in their community, compared to 47% who oppose their use. Support was strongest among self-identified Republicans, with 54% of the party in favor of Flock cameras, while the same share of Democrats was against them. (Reporting by Helen Coster in New York; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Alistair Bell)