Ron DeSantis Calls for Laws to Curb License Plate Surveillance

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called for legislative action to regulate automated license plate readers, describing the current use of the technology as "out of control." Speaking at Florida International University in Miami, DeSantis warned against the creation of a "surveillance state" and urged the Florida Legislature to establish clear boundaries to prevent privacy violations. He suggested adopting a regulatory model similar to New Hampshire's laws, which limit data retention to three minutes unless linked to an active case.

While DeSantis acknowledged the utility of these tools for law enforcement, he expressed concern over potential misuse, citing instances of officers using the technology to track ex-girlfriends. This push for oversight comes as the Florida Highway Patrol has used Flock Safety networks for immigration enforcement and other state agencies have been accused of monitoring environmental activists.

Nationally, the debate over Flock Safety, which operates 120,000 cameras across 49 states, has intensified. Senator Josh Hawley launched a Senate Judiciary subcommittee investigation into the company's data practices, and civil liberties groups like the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation have filed lawsuits alleging Fourth Amendment violations. In response to these concerns, several municipalities, including Tempe, Arizona, Christiansburg, Virginia, and New Bedford, Massachusetts, have terminated their contracts with Flock Safety. Conversely, some agencies in Ohio and Florida have launched transparency portals to share policies and data with the public to build community trust.