Florida and Texas are moving to end their use of Flock's license plate cameras, citing privacy and misuse concerns. Florida's Department of Transportation said in a memo on Monday that it will stop using the readers on state highways, giving the state 30 days to remove the cameras. The memo cited “concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns, and surveillance schemes.”
The decision follows remarks by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who called the technology “out of control” at a press conference last Wednesday. Texas has also acted, ordering state agencies to stop funding Flock cameras. Governor Greg Abbott's office cited abuse of the system, including the recent indictment of a Lufkin police officer on 100 felony counts for allegedly searching Flock's database without authorization.
Flock has around 130,000 license plate readers across the US. The company has faced criticism from communities, with some towns reporting that Flock reinstalled or reactivated cameras despite terminated contracts. TechCrunch contacted Flock for comment but did not receive a response.