Republican Anti-Flock Bill Might Ban All Automated Traffic Enforcement

The rise of mass automated license-plate-reader surveillance in recent years, its reckless implementation and rampant abuse by rank-and-file police officers have quickly become unacceptable to many Americans. So it's perhaps unsurprising that U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie and six co-sponsors introduced the Flock-Off Act in Congress last month. The bill proposed withdrawing all federal funding from any municipality with "covered camera system" operator contracts, not just with Flock. The bill's language would also cover automated speed and red light cameras.

Massie, a Kentucky Republican who lost his primary in May, said his bill aims to prevent law enforcement from surveilling "law-abiding citizens." Despite good intentions, though, the lawmakers behind the Flock-Off Act seemingly didn't comprehend the ramifications of its catch-all wording. The only Democratic co-sponsor of the bill, California Rep. Ro Khanna, told Streetsblog, "I'm for speed and red light cameras. You don't have speed and red light cameras being abused by police officers." Currently, the Flock-Off Act exempts only cameras used for tolling and cameras placed within a mile of the country's northern and southern borders.

Flock's deployment of automated license-plate-reading cameras is fundamentally different from speed and red light cameras. The mass surveillance network captures every license plate that passes, creating a database accessible to virtually every Flock customer. Speed and red light cameras only trigger when they detect an infraction beyond a set threshold. This trigger also makes the cameras serve as a deterrent to drivers breaking the law. According to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, speeding dropped by 84% after it first deployed speed cameras in 2025. These cameras also eliminate the need for most traffic stops, which can lead to deadly police interactions either during the stop or in a high-speed pursuit.

Regardless of the outcome of next week's midterm elections, there's a legislative backlash coming for all license-plate-reading cameras. Only time will tell how extensive the restrictions will be if and when the final version of the bill is signed into law. It might seem like a lost cause to me and you, but Flock is desperately trying to salvage its reputation with the public and its massive government contracts. The surveillance company has distributed a handbook to law enforcement agencies on how to "own the narrative" regarding its camera system.