Documented Incident
South Carolina Gov. McMaster defends ALPR use as lawmakers prepare to revisit regulations
Event: September 11, 2026 · First reported: September 11, 2026 · 8 sources
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said law enforcement should not lose access to automated license plate readers, while adding that anyone who misuses the technology should be held accountable. His comments, given to FOX Carolina, followed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's announcement that he is removing Flock cameras from state roadways. South Carolina currently has no state law specifically regulating ALPRs, and lawmakers are expected to take up the issue in January.
South Carolina is one of the states where ALPR networks have expanded without a governing statute, making the upcoming legislative session a test of whether oversight rules follow deployment or trail behind it.
Key facts
- McMaster said law enforcement should keep tools that can prevent and solve crimes, but that misuse must carry accountability
- The advocacy group DeFlock counts roughly 1,400 ALPR cameras across South Carolina
- State lawmakers are expected to revisit ALPR regulations in January
- A federal class-action lawsuit filed against Flock alleges 'rampant misuse' across its network; the allegations have not been adjudicated
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he is removing Flock cameras from state roadways
Timeline
- September 11, 2026Gov. McMaster defends Flock cameras amid misuse concerns
- September 11, 2026McMaster defends Flock cameras amid concerns of misuse
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Gov. McMaster defends Flock cameras amid misuse concerns (Live 5 News, September 11, 2026)
- Gov . McMaster defends Flock cameras amid misuse concerns (wmbfnews.com, September 11, 2026)
- McMaster defends Flock cameras amid concerns of misuse (WRDW, September 11, 2026)
- Gov. McMaster defends Flock cameras amid misuse concerns (FOX Carolina News, September 11, 2026)
- Gov. McMaster defends Flock cameras amid misuse concerns (FOX Carolina News, September 11, 2026)
- Gov. McMaster defends Flock cameras amid misuse concerns (FOX Carolina News, September 11, 2026)
- McMaster defends Flock cameras amid concerns of misuse (WRDW, September 11, 2026)
- McMaster defends Flock cameras amid concerns of misuse (Https://www.wrdw.com, September 11, 2026)
More from South Carolina
Everything we have documented in South Carolina, or search every South Carolina article in the archive.
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 September 13, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.