Florida Bans Flock and Other License Plate Readers on State Roads
The agency is revoking existing approvals and giving local departments 30 days to remove the cameras amid privacy and misuse concerns.
- On Monday, the Florida Department of Transportation ordered local law enforcement agencies to remove automated license plate readers from state highway rights of way, citing privacy concerns and reports of misuse.
- Governor Ron DeSantis led the effort, citing constitutional privacy concerns after publicized incidents including a Polk County officer using Flock technology to track his estranged wife's vehicle 717 times over 21 months.
- A TCPalm analysis reveals Flock cameras increasingly used for personal monitoring, with Florida agencies conducting 216 immigration-related searches in one quarter and tracking drivers tied to demonstrations 19 times in 2025.
- At least four Florida sheriffs, including Putnam County Sheriff H.D. 'Gator' DeLoach, ordered discontinuation of Flock systems, with FDOT requiring removal from state highway rights of way within 30 days.
- While Flock says it is tightening oversight and reducing data retention to seven days, Governor DeSantis indicated he wants the Legislature to pass an 'AI Bill of Rights' before he leaves office in January.
140 Articles
140 Articles
Florida Orders Removal of Flock Cameras from All State Highways
The Florida Department of Transportation has revoked permission for automated license-plate readers on state highway right-of-ways. Chief Operating Officer Will Watts signed the memo giving local agencies 30 days to […] The post Florida Orders Removal of Flock Cameras from All State Highways appeared first on The Western Journal.
Safety tool or privacy threat? Florida pulls the plug on license plate readers
Sheriffs across Florida are pulling automated license plate readers off state roads after the Florida Department of Transportation revoked the permits that allowed the cameras to operate on state property.
Florida takes sweeping action against license plate readers as cities drop Flock
Florida’s order comes amid a remarkable wave of Flock cancellations, suspensions, and proposed bans across the country. The cameras are coming down in Florida. Partially. On Monday, the Florida Department of Transportation officially revoked permission for law enforcement agencies to operate automated license plate readers on state highway rights-of-way. Police agencies have 30 days to remove them.The order represents one of the broadest governm…
Florida bans Flock cameras on highways as states push back on surveillance
Florida’s local law enforcement agencies can no longer install automated license plate readers like Flock cameras on state highways, amidst growing nationwide concerns over privacy and potential misuses.In a memo released Monday, Will Watts, chief operating officer of Florida’s Department of Transportation notified local agencies that the department has revoked all approvals to place automated license plate readers within the “right of way” of a…
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