FIRST ON FOX: Americans are sounding the alarm over privacy concerns surrounding Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers (ALPRs) that can snap photos of cars and track locations, and one GOP lawmaker is moving to close the gaps.
Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., introduced a bill Thursday that would ban ALPR searches targeting political or religious messages on vehicles, require warrants for most searches, mandate that records be deleted within 24 hours and prohibit vendors from selling or sharing location data.
“When you consider that these systems track everything that you do, where you work, where your kids go to school, where you even go to church, I think it’s pretty easy to understand why people are concerned,” Harrigan told Fox News Digital. “So that’s an extraordinary amount of information about somebody that the government has that has never committed a crime.”
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Flock cameras and other ALPRs have drawn widespread debate. Law enforcement uses them in criminal investigations to collect searchable license plate, location and other vehicle data that allow officers to search by location and identify vehicles matching a suspect’s vehicle description.
Critics believe they raise constitutional concerns by tracking drivers without consent, while supporters say they are needed for crime prevention. President Donald Trump has voiced support for Flock cameras, telling reporters on Sept. 13 that he “sort of” likes them because of their use by law enforcement despite some people calling them “an infringement.”
Harrigan’s bill would impose restrictions on all ALPR systems, including prohibiting government agencies from categorizing vehicles by “expressive attributes” like political or religious bumper stickers, flags or decals.
“At the end of the day, they have nothing to do with whether you committed a crime or not,” Harrigan said. “As all of this data comes in and is vacuumed in by the government, it becomes searchable, particularly with the new technologies that we have surrounding artificial intelligence.”
That means messages ranging from “Back the Blue” to “Jesus Saves” or “Black Lives Matter” could not be turned into searchable data. The bill would also block ALPR searches targeting political or religious activity, civil immigration violations, parking or non-moving traffic violations, debts and other civil penalties.
As ALPR technology expands, Flock Safety says its systems can detect bumper stickers but cannot identify their type, “like a political party or a house of worship.”
However, its AI-powered FreeForm search allows users to search vehicle characteristics “in plain terms,” raising questions about how bumper stickers and other markings could be used to identify vehicles. The company said safeguards are designed to block searches for vehicles based on political or religious bumper stickers and symbols.
The bill would require law enforcement to have a probable cause warrant in most searches, with exceptions for immediate threats to someone’s life or safety. Records would have to be deleted within 24 hours, with exceptions for warrants, emergencies and court orders.
It would also require agencies to log ALPR searches, publish annual reports and undergo audits. States without qualifying protections could lose 10% of certain federal criminal justice funding. Additionally, vendors would be prohibited from selling ALPR data or using it to train artificial intelligence (AI) models.
And for Americans worried about their Fourth Amendment rights, the bill would offer legal protections, allowing people to sue over illegal searches for at least $1,000 per violation and keep illegally obtained evidence out of court.
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In August, The Washington Post found that at least 50 officers had been accused or charged with misusing license plate readers. Some reportedly used them to spy on romantic partners, exes or other women, with Flock’s system used in 46 cases.
Harrigan said the bill would not stop the technology from being used as an investigative tool and would instead place limits on how far law enforcement can go.
“Simultaneously, when we have technology that can benefit humanity and our experience here as Americans and make America safer, we should leverage that. But we have to strike the right balance,” he said.
He said he believes lawmakers can get behind the bill “regardless of your political philosophy.”
“Protecting Americans from criminals and protecting their constitutional rights, to me, those are two core responsibilities of government,” he said. “And I think that that’s something that members on both sides of the aisle can get behind.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Flock Safety for comment but did not hear back before publication.