Sanders introduces bill to ban the federal government from using Flock
Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the Ban Flock Act to prohibit federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) or accessing ALPR data collected by local police or private companies. The bill, which does not name any vendor in its text, would allow narrow exceptions for toll collection and for future congressional authorizations that limit data retention to 48 hours.
Why It Matters
The proposal targets a surveillance technology widely deployed across the U.S. and ties federal grant funding to local compliance, creating a potential lever to influence state and local use of ALPR systems. It also formalizes private and public enforcement paths, allowing lawsuits and state attorney general actions against the federal government for violations.
Key Facts
- Bill name: Ban Flock Act
- Sponsor: Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.)
- Co-sponsors: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
- Scope: Bans federal agencies from using ALPRs or tapping data from ALPRs run by local police and private companies
- Exceptions: Toll collection and future congressional authorizations that would cap retention at 48 hours
Senator Bernie Sanders has filed legislation aiming to remove automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) from federal use and block federal access to ALPR data gathered by local police departments or private firms. Although the bill is titled after a specific vendor, its text applies broadly to all ALPR systems rather than singling out any company by name. The measure includes narrow carve-outs for tolling and for any future congressional authorizations that would impose a 48-hour maximum on data retention.
If enacted, the bill would attach financial consequences to state and local governments that continue ALPR operations. Starting in the first fiscal year after the law takes effect, jurisdictions that do not ban the technology would forfeit certain federal grants from five departments, including the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security. The proposal also creates enforcement avenues against the federal government, allowing private lawsuits and empowering state attorneys general to seek compliance.
Sanders has framed the move in the context of growing public concern about ALPR deployments. He identified Flock as the largest ALPR vendor in the U.S., saying the company operates more than 120,000 cameras. Flock, for its part, has said its network handles over 20 billion vehicle reads per month and in recent months has tightened policies — cutting its default data retention from 30 days to seven and requiring use of an audit tool that can lock accounts for review when searches are flagged.
The debate around ALPRs has been heightened by documented misuse of such systems: a former Milwaukee police officer pleaded guilty after conducting 179 searches of the platform for personal reasons. Company leadership has discussed additional safeguards, such as a proposed “double-key” approval for searches, which the CEO described as an item being considered internally. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Jeff Merkley are among the bill’s co-sponsors, and the proposal faces the normal legislative hurdles that most bills encounter in Congress.
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