WHERAS, Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs), an emerging technology that can easily capture images; use AI to determine vehicles’ license plate numbers, makes, models, and unique features like bumper stickers and dents; and create and transmit searchable vehicle location databases; has come under increased scrutiny as the rapid spread of this still largely unregulated technology has raised concerns about data security and civil liberties, as a result of evidence that private tech companies who operate the cameras share data between municipal law enforcement and federal agencies including ICE; and
WHEREAS, ALPRs differ from automated traffic enforcement cameras, like speed cameras, red light cameras, and toll cameras. Traffic enforcement cameras are triggered by a specific action (such as driving faster than the speed limit); whereas ALPRs are significantly more invasive by constantly recording, tracking the movements of everything that enter their field of view, and saves data to be shared with mass surveillance databases; and
WHEREAS, Since June 2025, approximately 200 municipalities and 20 police departments throughout the United States have cancelled or refused to initiate contracts with the automatic license plate reader (“ALPR”) company Flock Safety (“Flock”) because of concerns about the company’s ethics, operational standard, and respect for privacy, including concerns about misuse of the technology by individuals; and
WHEREAS, Flock has misled its customers and the public in responding to legitimate concerns, such as stating publicly that the company has no contract with ICE, and federal agencies were removed from its national search network; however, the company knows the agencies have regular, indirect access; investigations have revealed that local and state police have conducted lookups using their own Flock databases at the request of federal immigration enforcement; and
WHEREAS Flock knowingly overstates the effectiveness of data access and security measures, such as stating that its requirement that all searches of Flock’s ALPR database must include the purpose for the search to ensure prevention of inappropriate and unauthorized uses, even though Flock knew its system regularly accepts vague descriptions such as “investigation” and has even accepted “hehehe” as a search justification; and
WHEREAS, Flock’s corporate model and marketing promotes the broad, nationwide sharing of local ALPR data, and even sends locally collected Flock ALPR data overseas, where it is no longer subject to the protections of American laws or the U.S. Constitution; and
WHEREAS, Flock’s default setting retains highly personal vehicle location data for an entire month, putting Flock’s corporate profits - which are increased by mass data retention and sharing - above the public’s interest in protecting individual privacy, especially when a person is not suspected of committing a crime; and
WHEREAS, Flock operational methods are increasingly at odds with the interests of its own customers, such as its default contract provision that gives Flock a perpetual, royalty-free, unlimited license to use its customers’ ALPR data, the elimination of previous Flock contract language stating that “Flock does not own and shall not sell Customer Data,” and requiring its most recent customers to settle any disputes they have with Flock through arbitration governed by the laws of the State of Georgia; and
WHEREAS, Based on its previous conduct, Flock’s reputation is so poor that even other large mass surveillance companies have terminated their relationships with Flock, a prominent example being Amazon-owned Ring LLC, the maker of Ring video doorbells, did in February 2026; and
WHEREAS, While Flock has dominated the national conversation about ALPRs, they are not the only provider of this technology that raises civil liberties and privacy concerns; and
WHEREAS, Multiple policy proposals and pieces of legislation introduced in the General Assembly and Pennsylvania Senate or circulated to colleagues propose bans or limits on Flock cameras or other networked ALPR cameras including prohibitions on suspicionless mass collection of images, and prohibitions on using cameras to stalk, harass, or improperly monitor individuals, and other unauthorized searches and data collection; and
WHEREAS, Many of these proposals include strong guardrails for the use of such cameras including requiring a warrant for the use of cameras to track particular individuals or license plates; regulations on the collection or use of the data, such as short retention periods, restrictions on use and disclosure of the data collected, and required transparency. Numerous fourth amendment challenges have been raised due to the concern the Flock cameras violate constitutional protections against mass surveillance; and
WHEREAS, Governor Josh Shapiro publicly voiced his concerns about Flock cameras, stating they are not something in the public interest, and not a tool that he supports for law enforcement to keep people safe, and not something he supports; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby calls on the General Assembly and Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to pass bipartisan legislation to ban the use of Flock cameras across the Commonwealth and develop strong guardrails for the use of automatic license plate reader technology.
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