Sanders files bill to bar the federal government from using Flock

Flock, whose cameras scan license plates across the country, keeps drawing public anger. Now Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) wants the federal government out of the business entirely.

On Friday he introduced the Ban Flock Act, which would stop federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) and from tapping into data gathered by readers run by local police and private firms. Despite the name, the text never singles out Flock — it covers any and all ALPR systems.

Exceptions are allowed only for toll collection and for uses Congress approves in future legislation, which would have to cap data retention at no more than 48 hours.

States and localities that don't comply would pay a price. Starting the first fiscal year after enactment, they would lose grants from five federal departments, including Justice and Homeland Security, unless they ban the technology. Americans could also sue the federal government over violations, and state attorneys general could enforce the law. Like most bills, this one faces long odds.

According to Sanders, Flock is the largest ALPR vendor in the U.S., with more than 120,000 cameras. In a February blog post the company said its network processes over 20 billion vehicle reads each month.

Under growing pressure from communities protesting the product, suspending its use, and increasingly canceling contracts, Flock has tightened its rules. In August, CEO Garrett Langley — who had previously said how police use the cameras is up to local agencies — announced a new default retention period of seven days, down from thirty.

Customers must now use an audit tool that locks an officer out pending review when it flags unusual searches. In one of the highest-profile abuse cases, a former Milwaukee officer pleaded guilty to misconduct after searching for his then-partner and her ex 179 times, each time listing the reason as "investigation." Investor Jason Calacanis has floated a "double-key" system requiring two people to approve a search, and Langley said the idea is "on the whiteboard."

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) are co-sponsors.

Source: TechCrunch