Federal Bill Would Withhold Transportation Funds from States That Fail to Regulate Flock Cameras

A bipartisan bill moving through Congress would tie a state’s receipt of surface transportation funding to its regulation of Flock’s automated license-plate-reading cameras. The Department of Transportation determines the amount of these funds based on each state’s roadway mileage and traffic volume. Congress has previously used similar funding threats to establish a national minimum drinking age, DUI standards, and billboard regulations.

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Flock’s lobbying expenditures in Washington have remained steady for the past 18 months, and the company recently added a fifth lobbying firm, according to federal records. The issue has risen to prominence amid broader debates over emerging technologies, including rogue AI systems and data-center construction, that are shaping the 2024 U.S. midterm election narrative. Approximately 25 states and U.S. territories already have laws governing automated license-plate readers, mandating transparency and data-deletion requirements, but few impose limits on permissible uses, per the New York University School of Law’s Policing Project.

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President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Flock cameras, telling reporters they “help law-enforcement authorities.” Lawmakers have expressed frustration after instances of officers using Flock footage for personal purposes, such as stalking former romantic partners. A report identified at least 100 alleged abuses of the technology over the past eight years.

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Privacy advocates argue the cameras enable mass surveillance that infringes on Fourth-Amendment rights. Cloud, a spokesperson for the opposition coalition, warned that “taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to fund the shredding of their own civil liberties or the growth of a surveillance state.”

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• “Taxpayers shouldn't be forced to fund the shredding of their own civil liberties or the growth of a surveillance state,” — Cloud

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