Immigration Debate Did To AI License Plate Readers What Years Of Privacy Advocacy Couldn’t

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53 cities across 20 different states have, so far, deactivated or altogether rejected Flock’s license plate-reading cameras

ALPR networks are being criticized over their use in immigration enforcement.
More than 50 cities have removed or rejected the ALPR camera systems.
Privacy concerns for all individuals are driving a growing backlash nationwide.

Traffic cameras pop up in the news more and more lately. This time, though, it’s not because they’re collecting copious amounts of revenue or that they’re being hijacked by criminals. Instead, there’s a new question linked to immigration enforcement.

Are those entrusted with such an important task gaining access to and then using these cameras lawfully? Some municipalities aren’t confident of that, and it’s creating a split across the United States.

The controversy centers on Flock Safety, one of the largest suppliers of AI-powered license-plate reader systems in the country. Its cameras are used by thousands of police departments and private communities, but concerns about how the data can be shared, especially with federal agencies, have pushed dozens of cities to shut the systems down.

Read: Flock Traffic Cameras Track Everything, Except The Cops Misusing Them

For its part, Flock says that it’s done what it can and that some things are just out of its hands. The company barred federal agencies from its national and state lookup tools last August. “It is a frustrating thing to have so much attention directed at us, specifically when the underlying issues have nothing to do with our technology or our company,” Dan Haley, Flock’s chief legal officer, told the…

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