Senator Josh Hawley is seeking answers from Flock Safety regarding whether its rapidly expanding network of artificial intelligence-powered cameras contributes to a searchable national database of American citizens' movements. This inquiry comes as various communities nationwide are opting to discontinue the use of this technology due to escalating privacy concerns.
"I’m investigating Flock cameras to determine who has access to hundreds of millions of Americans’ data and what they’re doing with it," Senator Hawley stated, emphasizing that "Americans deserve answers."
An expert, Frommer, highlighted the necessity of judicial oversight. "The No. 1 reform that I think is needed here is a warrant," Frommer asserted. "Go to a judge, explain to the judge why you should be able to use this tool."
Frommer acknowledged that law enforcement should retain the ability to act swiftly in genuine emergencies, such as situations involving immediate danger or missing persons. However, he stressed the importance of requiring post-search justification if a warrant could not be obtained beforehand.
"Most law enforcement searches are things that happen within a few days of the crime," Frommer explained. "You don’t need to be keeping this gigantic database on everybody’s movements."
Senator Hawley's Inquiry into Data Access
Senator Hawley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, initiated his investigation on Wednesday with a letter addressed to Flock CEO Garrett Langley.
The Missouri Republican expressed concern that Flock's camera network extends far beyond the localized, discrete investigations typically associated with law enforcement surveillance tools.
"Instead of serving discrete local investigations, as contemplated by our constitutional processes and safeguards, these camera networks harness artificial intelligence to pool what they capture into a national database that customers can search," Senator Hawley wrote.
Flock's automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras record passing vehicles, logging details such as license plates, vehicle descriptions, locations, and timestamps. The Atlanta-based company markets its technology to law enforcement agencies, businesses, and homeowners associations.
A spokesperson for Flock Safety, Lewbel, responded to the inquiry: "We look forward to working with Senator Hawley and the Subcommittee to provide additional context about how our technology works, the safeguards built into our platform and how law enforcement agencies use Flock to solve crime and find missing people."
Senator Hawley acknowledged the need for law enforcement tools to apprehend offenders and maintain community safety but contended that Americans should not have to relinquish their privacy during routine daily activities.
"Americans do not surrender their privacy rights when they drive to work, drop their kids off at school, or go to church," Senator Hawley's letter stated. "The Supreme Court has recognized that a comprehensive, retrospective record of a person’s movements is different in kind from ordinary observation in public."
Representative Keith Self, a Republican from Texas, echoed Senator Hawley’s concerns in a post on X, emphasizing that the Fourth Amendment "is not up for ‘compromise.’"
"Our Founders did not risk their lives so a CEO could trade our rights for profit and perceived ‘safety,’" Representative Self wrote, referencing Benjamin Franklin’s famous admonition against sacrificing essential liberty for temporary security. The investigation was initially reported by Axios.
Frommer also argued that Flock's stance—that agencies control their data-sharing settings—does not fully resolve privacy issues, as these agencies can unknowingly be connected to much broader networks.
"The fact that they technically control the data is a false promise when reality has shown that these things are often spread much further than agencies expected," he commented.
Cities Reconsider Surveillance Partnerships
The increased scrutiny on Flock Safety coincides with a growing number of cities and counties reevaluating their agreements with the company, citing concerns over data sharing, privacy, and potential misuse of the technology.
Pflugerville, Texas
On Tuesday, the Pflugerville City Council voted unanimously to terminate the Texas city's contract with Flock. City officials confirmed that all 28 ALPR cameras covered by the agreement would be deactivated, and access to the system would be disabled.
Pflugerville Mayor Doug Weiss issued a statement: "Public safety and public trust have to go hand in hand, and recent revelations about the Flock system have fueled concerns throughout the community; we can’t engage with organizations we can’t trust."
Pflugerville police had utilized Flock cameras since 2020. The city had been considering a new two-year agreement that included updated privacy, security, and data policies. However, officials stated they lost confidence in the company's ability to meet the city's standards.
Pflugerville Police Chief Willie Richards commented, "ALPR technology is a valuable investigative tool, and we have seen firsthand its ability to help protect our community during critical incidents. But as useful as this tool is, we must have confidence that the safeguards and settings we put in place function exactly as intended. Unfortunately, we’ve lost confidence in the current system and the vendor’s ability to meet our data and privacy standards."
Lewbel, from Flock Safety, acknowledged Pflugerville's decision and noted that the city had participated in Texas' statewide sharing network, distinguishing it from direct one-to-one sharing between agencies.
"Statewide sharing allows participating Texas agencies to search across the network using a full license plate," Lewbel explained. "Agencies control their sharing settings and can change or revoke them at any time."
Lewbel added that Flock's audit logs indicated statewide sharing had been active for Pflugerville since 2024, and agencies receive monthly emails detailing their sharing relationships.
She also stated that the company had identified two out-of-state agencies mistakenly categorized as Texas agencies and included in the statewide network. "We take responsibility for that error, which was corrected months ago," Lewbel said.
Hood County, Texas
In Hood County, Texas, the Commissioners Court voted to end its relationship with Flock. The court later unanimously directed that the county's three cameras be disconnected and covered until their removal could be arranged.
Constable John Shirley confirmed his office implemented the court's decision, sharing images of the unplugged and covered cameras.
"Today is a good day for the Freedom of the people of Hood County," Shirley wrote in a social media post. "These cameras were constantly scanning and recording regular folks just going about their day. That kind of permanent, warrantless tracking doesn’t belong in a free society. Privacy isn’t optional, and mass surveillance isn’t how we do things here."
Shirley later clarified that while he supports technology that assists police in solving crimes, locating missing persons, and apprehending dangerous suspects, public safety alone cannot conclude the discussion about individual liberty.
"We can have good policing and still insist on boundaries," he stated. "We can use technology without giving government unlimited surveillance capability."
Shirley noted that the cameras remain Flock's property and that he was executing the Commissioners Court's directive, not acting autonomously. He urged the company to "come get your garbage out of my county."
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona, has also deactivated its Flock ALPR system and plans to terminate its contract with the company, according to city officials.
The cameras are no longer collecting license plate data, and Tempe has indicated no intention of hiring another company to replace the system.
While Tempe police acknowledged that the cameras had aided in solving crimes, the city cited recent instances of ALPR system misuse in Arizona and other locations as a basis for concerns about the technology's inherent risks.
Tempe police found no misuse within their own Flock system, the city confirmed. Flock will be responsible for removing the cameras, and Tempe stated that previously collected data would be automatically deleted after 30 days unless it is linked to an ongoing case or investigation.
Broader Implications for ALPR Technology
Frommer emphasized that the constitutional concerns extend beyond Flock to any provider of interconnected license plate reader technology.
"License plate readers, as a technology, are incredibly helpful. They can help solve crimes," he acknowledged. "But there have to be safeguards in place, constitutional safeguards in place — no matter whether it’s Flock or Axon or Motorola or another company."
