Massie unveils Flock-Off Act aimed at restricting surveillance cameras

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) unveiled a bill Thursday aimed at restricting the use of federal funds for automated license plate reader cameras (ALPRs) and biometric surveillance cameras.

The Flock-Off Act would block any attempt to purchase, install, maintain, operate or upgrade ALPRs and biometric surveillance cameras for municipalities and local law enforcement.

Despite being in the name of the act , Flock — a prominent ALPR company — would not be the only company affected.

Axon — which specializes in car-mounted cameras — describes an ALPR as an “AI-driven recording system for capturing audio and video in high-risk environments.”

Unlike regular traffic cameras, such systems also record license plate numbers and specific details about a car to create what the company calls a “vehicle signature.”

The legislation also would “withhold further Federal funds” from recipients until they reimburse “the Treasury of the United States for the full amount of Federal funds obligated.”

The prohibition extends to “contract, subscription, license, memorandum of understanding, data-sharing agreement, cooperative agreement, or other similar arrangement” made with any companies in the sector.

The bill notably provides an exception for the use of the technology within a mile of the northern and southern border for “the detection and interdiction of unlawful entry, human trafficking, and drug smuggling.”

It still would allow for federal funds to be used for cameras that have a sole purpose of administering, collecting or enforcing tolls.

“The Flock-Off Act withholds federal money from municipalities and police departments that deploy Flock cameras to surveil law-abiding citizens. Federal taxpayers should not be forced to fund the surveillance state,” Massie said in a press release about the legislation.

“The federal government shouldn’t provide ‘security’ grants to cities and police departments that have gone beyond the pale and turned their communities into a version of 1984,” he added.

Flock told The Hill that “withholding federal funding from the thousands of police departments that rely on license plate reader technology would have real consequences for public safety.”

“Rather than banning a critical public safety tool, Congress should consider strong, clear safeguards that ensure accountability, oversight, and responsible use are enshrined in law,” the company said in response to Massie’s bill. “We do not have to choose between protecting privacy and giving law enforcement the tools it needs to keep communities safe. We can — and should — do both.”

Flock has been the subject of many privacy lawsuits and terminated contracts as a result of widespread misuse, and more than 150 cities have already made moves to cancel or reject contracts with the company, according to antisurveillance organization DeFlock .

The Hill has reached out to Axon for comment.