New Legislation for ALPR Systems
More and more municipalities are pausing or cancelling Flock contracts, including the Massachusetts communities of Salem, New Bedford, Ayer, Abington, and Southbridge. These successes continue to show what can be achieved when everyday people organize locally. Keep it up!
While these victories are incredibly validating and important, we acknowledge that the fight for freedom from mass surveillance is not over. Flock has put out PR statements to revamp their image, seemingly addressing the major privacy, security, and civil liberty issues their tech prompts, but serious problems persist. Additionally, while the Flock brand now carries a poor reputation, other ALPR companies are eager to differentiate themselves from Flock and swoop in to profit, despite perpetuating many of the same problems inherent in any unregulated, AI-powered, mass surveillance tool.
Regulation is sorely needed. Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky) has introduced new legislation HR 10221 to restrict the use of federal funds for ALPR systems. The proposed legislation is not perfect, and is not officially endorsed by Mass 50501. Nevertheless, we felt it was important news to share. Read it over, and, if it resonates with you, reach out to your federal representative. You can find their contact information here.
If anything, continuing to voice our opposition to these mass surveillance tools lets our representatives know that this issue is not going away. We will provide updates as we learn more about this proposed legislation.
Want to speak up about the proposed legislation?
Find your federal legislators at https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Use our template email below (or write your own!) to contact your Federal Representative
Ask them to support or reject H.10221
Sample email:
(Copy, personalize, and send to your Federal Representative)
Dear [Representative Name],
I am writing to strongly encourage you to support your colleague Rep. Massie's recently introduced "Flock-Off Act" HR 10221 which would place restrictions on federal funds from being spent on ALPR cameras. Flock, and the widespread adoption of ALPR technology more broadly, represents an absolutely critical threat against the 4th Amendment rights of US Citizens. We are surveilled regardless of whether we have committed or are being investigated for a crime simply because the regulation has not caught up with the technological advancements. While limited in scope, Rep. Massie's proposed legislation could be an important first step into a broader bi-partisan condemnation of this important civil rights issue.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email]