US Municipalities Cancel Flock License Plate Reader Contracts Over Surveillance Concerns

A wave of municipal governments across the United States have voted to terminate contracts with automated license plate reader provider Flock Safety due to mounting privacy and data governance concerns.

City councils across several U.S. states voted in record numbers throughout August to terminate municipal contracts with automated license plate reader (ALPR) provider Flock Safety.

The contract cancellations follow public audit reports revealing that local vehicle location databases were routinely accessed by external law enforcement agencies without judicial warrants or inter-city data-sharing agreements.

Civil liberties advocates praised the municipal decisions as a turning point against unchecked private surveillance networks, urging local governments to establish strict statutory limits on automated tracking technologies.