US Lawmakers Introduce 'Ban Flock Act' to Outlaw AI License Plate Surveillance

Progressive lawmakers including Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced the Ban Flock Act to halt the rapid deployment of AI-powered surveillance cameras across American municipalities. The legislation specifically targets automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) by prohibiting federal agencies from utilizing cameras not directly owned by the government. It also severs federal funding pipelines for state and local grants that contract with third-party ALPR vendors like Flock Safety. The legislative push against private surveillance networks aligns with recent courtroom scrutiny over how license plate readers violate constitutional privacy protections. If passed, the bill explicitly authorizes Americans to sue the federal government over privacy violations linked to ALPR technology. Unusual bipartisan momentum is building against the sector, with Republican Senator Josh Hawley introducing his own parallel Stop Flock Abuse Act ahead of the November elections. "We cannot allow America to become a surveillance state where a handful of AI oligarchs profit by giving the government the power to track our every movement." — Bernie Sanders