Flock Camera

In the past year, Gov. Ron DeSantis has approved approximately $4.6 million in requests from local law enforcement agencies for automatic license plate readers in connection with their illegal immigration enforcement efforts. On Monday, FDOT advised law enforcement agencies to remove all the devices from state roads.

They're used by law enforcement agencies, private companies and municipalities and are being installed in Florida and across the country at a rapid pace.

Amid backlash about automated license plate readers, the Florida Department of Transportation has revoked permits for existing devices within the right of way of a road on the state highway system.

The backlash is growing against Flock automatic license plate readers. Our panel of experts expresses concerns about the technology.

DeFlock organizers said they’re not just concerned with St. Petersburg police using the cameras to search license plates. It's also the amount of information collected, where it goes and how much residents know about who can access it.

Amid the growing public and political backlash against Flock cameras, add Gov. Ron DeSantis to the list of skeptics about their use.

The company will make what were once optional guardrails mandatory. Among them: Law enforcement customers will have to implement an audit tool intended to flag abnormal search behavior.

The latest incident comes as Flock cameras, which have operated in St. Petersburg since 2022, face increased scrutiny over how police collect and use vehicle data.

On "Florida Matters Live & Local," hear about the controversy over Flock cameras and why one man is taking his time blocking them.

What in the heck is a Flock camera? Depending on whom you ask, it’s a crime-fighting tool or a symbol of creepy surveillance. Meet the “Flock Blocker,” who believes the latter and protests against them.

According to Chief Anthony Holloway, the cameras are not designed to identify drivers or passengers and do not use facial recognition technology.