Josh Hawley Introduces Act to Regulate AI Surveillance Cameras

Senator Josh Hawley introduced the Stop Flock Abuse Act to establish federal safeguards for AI-powered surveillance technology, specifically targeting automated license plate readers produced by companies like Flock Safety. The legislation proposes a ban on facial recognition technology and requires that driver data be deleted within 10 days unless it is linked to a criminal investigation. To protect individual liberties, the bill would prohibit local governments from selling or sharing vehicle data and mandate that all collected information be encrypted and stored within the United States.

The legislative push follows a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing where executives from Flock, Axon, Motorola, and Verkada declined to testify. Hawley's proposal comes amid reports of police misuse, including officers using surveillance systems for personal reasons. While Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley acknowledged the need for a federal framework and the company pledged to implement anti-abuse safeguards, other officials are seeking more drastic measures.

Support for stricter oversight extends to Senators Raphael Warnock and Katie Britt, who have urged the Department of Justice to provide guidance on preventing the misuse of these tools. At the state level, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has taken a harder line, expressing support for legislation that would ban Flock cameras entirely across his state.