Documented Incident
Sanders, Merkley and Ocasio-Cortez Introduce 'Ban Flock Act' to Bar Federal ALPR Use
First reported: October 2, 2026 · 16 sources
Sens. Bernie Sanders and Jeff Merkley and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced legislation Friday that would prohibit federal agencies from using automated license plate readers, pause federal grant funding to state and local governments holding ALPR contracts, and create a right for individuals to sue the federal government over the technology's use. The bill, titled the Ban Flock Act, joins several competing proposals, including Rep. Thomas Massie's Flock-Off Act and Sen. Josh Hawley's Stop Flock Abuse Act, which would require search audit trails and 10-day data deletion absent an active investigation. None of these measures has been enacted. Flock's chief legal officer Dan Haley has pointed to company policy changes, saying privacy should not rest on a single vendor's judgment.
Federal legislation would set a national floor for ALPR rules that currently vary widely by jurisdiction, and the proposed grant-funding conditions could influence local purchasing decisions well beyond the agencies directly covered.
Key facts
- NPR reported Flock holds contracts with more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies; camera-count estimates vary, with CBS News citing 120,000 cameras in 49 states and DeFlock-based figures cited by ABC News and The Hill ranging from roughly 135,000 to 138,000 ALPR cameras nationwide, about 80 percent of them Flock's.
- NPR reported at least 30 localities deactivated Flock cameras or canceled contracts since the start of 2025; ABC News reported more than 50 cities and counties canceled or deactivated ALPR cameras from Flock and other makers.
- KCUR reported five Indianapolis police officers were charged this week with misusing Flock data; ABC News reported a Kentucky officer was arrested over alleged use of Flock cameras to track an ex-girlfriend more than 2,000 times. Charges are allegations, not convictions.
- At a congressional hearing led by Sen. Hawley, witnesses included Lindsey Isaacs, a Florida woman who CBS News reported was wrongfully accused and jailed after her vehicle was misidentified on a Flock camera. The CEOs of Flock, Axon, Motorola and Verkada did not attend despite Hawley's request.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott halted state funding for Flock cameras in September; Dallas planned to shut down 321 state-funded readers while keeping roughly 300 city-funded ones, per the Houston Chronicle.
Timeline
- October 2, 2026Sanders and AOC Target Flock Cameras With Bill to Ban Federal License Plate Tracking
- October 2, 2026AOC, Bernie Sanders introduce bill to ban feds from using flock cameras
- October 3, 2026Flock Cameras Face US Ban: Sanders, AOC and Merkley Target AI-Powered Surveillance
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Sanders and AOC Target Flock Cameras With Bill to Ban Federal License Plate Tracking (Hoodline, October 2, 2026)
- AOC, Sanders, Merkley roll out bill to ban Flock cameras (Denver Gazette, October 2, 2026)
- Flock Cameras Face US Ban: Sanders, AOC and Merkley Target AI-Powered Surveillance (International Business Times, October 3, 2026)
- Sanders, AOC, Merkley propose bill to ban Flock cameras (Politico) (Memeorandum, October 3, 2026)
- AOC, Sanders, Merkley roll out bill to ban Flock cameras (Washington Examiner, October 2, 2026)
- AOC, Bernie Sanders introduce bill to ban feds from using flock cameras (bizpacreview.com, October 2, 2026)
- Flock Cameras Face US Ban: Sanders, AOC and Merkley Target AI-Powered Surveillance (International Business Times, Singapore Edition, October 3, 2026)
- AOC, Bernie Sanders Introduce Bill To Ban Feds From Using Flock Cameras (dailycaller.com, October 2, 2026)
- Bernie Sanders Introduces Bill to Block Federal Use of Flock Safety License Plate Cameras (TechStory, October 3, 2026)
- Sanders introduces bill to ban the federal government from using Flock (Yahoo, October 3, 2026)
- AOC and Bernie Sanders introduce bill to ban Flock cameras (The Independent, October 2, 2026)
- Sanders introduces bill to ban the federal government from using Flock (TechCrunch, October 3, 2026)
- Bernie Sanders Introduces Bill to Ban Federal Use of License Plate Reader Data (Межа. Новини України., October 3, 2026)
- AOC and Bernie Sanders introduce bill to ban license plate readers: ‘Flock is always watching’ (Newswav, October 2, 2026)
- US: Sanders moves to ban federal agencies from using Flock surveillance (thestar.ng, October 3, 2026)
- AOC and Bernie Sanders introduce bill to ban license plate readers: ‘Flock is always watching’ (AOL.ca, October 2, 2026)
About this record
BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.
Updated October 7, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.