Philadelphia City Council Urges Pennsylvania to Ban Flock Safety Cameras

The Philadelphia City Council passed a resolution on September 24, 2026, calling on Pennsylvania state leaders to ban or strictly regulate automatic license plate readers (ALPRs), specifically those manufactured by Flock Safety. Councilmember Rue Landau authored the resolution, citing risks of mass surveillance, data security vulnerabilities, and the potential for misuse. Landau alleged that Flock Safety misleads customers about federal agency access to its network and overstates its own security measures.

Governor Josh Shapiro has aligned with these concerns, with his administration confirming that Commonwealth agencies do not own Flock cameras and will not permit their installation on state property.

Flock Safety opposed the resolution, arguing that the technology is a proven investigative tool used to locate missing people and solve serious crimes. The company stated it supports bipartisan legislation that establishes privacy, transparency, and accountability guardrails, but warned that a blanket ban would deprive law enforcement of a critical public safety tool.