Automated license plate readers, including Flock cameras, can help law enforcement locate stolen vehicles, find missing people, and investigate serious crimes. But the fact that technologies of this nature can be useful does not mean we must allow widespread and unchecked access to the information they collect.
As surveillance technology becomes increasingly prevalent in our everyday lives, the responsibility rests on public officials to ensure these devices are not being misused to violate people’s privacy, freedom, and safety. I am proud to be among a bipartisan group of state lawmakers introducing legislation to establish statewide safeguards for automated license plate readers in Pennsylvania.
There is no question that these systems can have legitimate use. Flock cameras can capture much more than a license plate. They can record a vehicle’s make, model, color, distinguishing characteristics, location, and the exact time it was seen. That information can create a detailed record of where someone has been and when they were there.
Once that information exists, we must ask: who can access it, why are they accessing it, and what happens if they abuse that access? Those questions are especially important for people who are trying to escape an abusive relationship or an individual who is stalking them.
Throughout my time in the legislature, I have worked to strengthen protections for survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence and to make sure our laws recognize the very real dangers that stalkers and abusive partners can pose. We know that technology can be weaponized by people who want to intimidate, monitor, or control someone else. A former partner should not be able to use surveillance tools intended for public safety to instead figure out where someone lives, where they work, where they go to school, or which places they visit.
That is not a theoretical concern. Across the country, there have been reports of people with authorized access to automated license plate reader systems, including law enforcement officers, have been arrested and are facing criminal charges for allegedly using that information to stalk former partners and violate people’s privacy for reasons completely unrelated to public safety.
Flock cameras are in use all across our Commonwealth, and Pennsylvanians should not have to experience these abuses before we establish clear rules around these devices. As such, my colleagues and I are proposing legislation that would create a statewide accountability framework for Flock and other automated license plate reader systems. It would establish clear rules about who can access this information and require documented reasons for searches. It would create audit trails so there is a record of who accessed data and why, establish standards for how long information can be retained, and improve transparency around how these systems are being used.
Just as importantly, there needs to be accountability when someone abuses this technology. Our legislation would establish meaningful civil penalties for unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of license plate reader data. It would also give state Attorney General and county district attorneys the authority to investigate violations and pursue civil enforcement. These are basic safeguards for a technology that can provide an extraordinary amount of information about ordinary people.
This legislation is not about preventing law enforcement from doing its job. It is about protecting your Fourth Amendment rights, guaranteeing that when government and law enforcement have access to powerful tools, there are equally powerful rules governing how those tools can be used.
Pennsylvanians should be able to drive to work, visit a friend, go to a doctor’s appointment, attend a protest, or simply run errands without worrying that their movements could be maliciously tracked or misused by someone with access to a security database. We can support effective law enforcement while also protecting constitutional rights and personal privacy. We can embrace useful technology while demanding accountability for the people who operate it. That is what responsible policymaking looks like.
It is our duty to establish clear guardrails before misuse of this technology becomes even more widespread. I believe every Pennsylvanian deserves that protection and I will continue working to make sure our laws keep people safe without sacrificing their rights to privacy.
If you want to learn more about this bill, or other issues I am working on, I encourage you to call my office at (412) 321-5523, email [email protected], or visit my office at 658 Lincoln Ave. in Bellevue.
