Florida revokes permits for license plate readers on state highways
Amid growing backlash over automated license plate readers, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has revoked permits for existing Flock cameras installed within state highway rights-of-way. The agency cited concerns about misuse, data privacy, and surveillance, and gave local law enforcement 30 days to remove the devices. Governor Ron DeSantis, who has voiced worries about a 'surveillance state,' also continues to push for an AI Bill of Rights. However, the memo is an executive order, so the next governor could reverse it.
I don't want to have this become a surveillance state.
- justanother
This refers only to Flock cameras. In Pinellas and Hillsborough counties (probably others or even most, but I cannot personally verify), there are non-Flock ALPR cameras on every major intersection stoplight gantry, feeding license plate and vehicular-fingerprint data to regional LE "Fusion Centers," where Palantir's Gotham product absolutely is in use. This is of course in addition to FDOT's PTZ cameras also. Forgive a cynic for telling you that banning Flock on state highways is purely performative in such light.
- asploder
Has there been any reporting into whether Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise has adequate data access controls around SunPass? They have ALPRs to operate the toll-by-plate system on bridges and toll roads across the state.
In my view, that’s one of the better reasons to have ALPRs at all, but you do need strict controls to prevent misuse.
- nashashmi
What would proper governance of a powerful flock like tool be? It is a public private partnership. Public benefit. Public infrastructure. Private collection. Private software. Private computing. Private access.
Private power.
- mc32
This is definitely a good step, however, ALPRs are not going away unfortunately. They have and are and will keep getting deployed by private businesses. They are too valuable for them at this time. The likes of Wal-Mart, etc., will potentially sell information to brokers and so on and some aggregator will resell the data to whomever wants to use the data.
- jmclnx
I cannot help to think 1 or more politician or their children was caught breaking a serious law that they would have avoided if the camera was not there. So the fix is to ban the cameras.