Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have introduced new legislation designed to limit federal agency access to Flock automated license plate readers. The proposals explicitly reference prior reporting by 404 Media regarding surveillance practices and data sharing.
Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Senator Jeff Merkley announced the Ban Flock Act on Friday. The proposed law would ban federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers and would block federal funding from state and local governments that use the devices. It would also allow citizens to sue the federal government for rights violations involving the technology.
Sanders stated that Flock is eroding privacy by installing tens of thousands of cameras across communities without consent. Ocasio-Cortez criticized AI powered cameras for tracking everyday movements and weaponizing data against workers. Merkley described the technology as an unchecked surveillance power that requires strict containment.
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The announcement from Sanders noted that Flock previously shared state information with federal immigration authorities. In May 2025, 404 Media reported that local police departments were performing searches in Flock databases on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Following that coverage, Flock altered its product by blocking external agency searches in Illinois, California, and Virginia, and launched a tool to block impermissible searches in real time.
Lawmakers also cited reports that law enforcement used Flock data to investigate protests against ICE raids and No Kings demonstrations. 404 Media previously revealed that California police investigated an immigration protest using the system. Additional reporting using data from the Electronic Frontier Foundation showed police monitoring No Kings protests nationwide, and 404 Media revealed that Flock itself instructed officers on how to surveil those demonstrators during a company webinar.
Hajar Hammado, a senior policy advisor at Demand Progress, called the Ban Flock Act the gold standard for federal legislation targeting invasive ALPR cameras. Hammado stated that drastic and comprehensive action is necessary to remove the technology from communities.
Hawley introduced the Stop Flock Abuse Act
Senator Josh Hawley introduced a separate bill, the Stop Flock Abuse Act, late last month. Hawley referenced 404 Media reporting during a recent Senate hearing. His bill would mandate a written approval process for each search, require agencies to delete driver data after ten days with exceptions for active investigations, and prohibit ALPR networks from adding facial recognition technology.
In a separate action, Representatives Greg Casar and Shontel Brown sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel asking how the agency intends to acquire nationwide ALPR access, as reported by Semafor. That inquiry follows a May report from 404 Media revealing the FBI plan. The congressional letter also cited 404 Media reporting about a Texas police officer who used Flock to search ALPR records nationwide for a woman who self-administered an abortion.
