Trump backs Flock license plate cameras: privacy concerns return

Donald Trump has come out in favor of automated license plate readers, or ALPR cameras, arguing that they help police solve crimes and that the privacy cost is a fair trade. His comments put the technology back at the center of the debate, and they bring fresh attention to Flock Safety, which says it operates 120,000 cameras, handles billions of scans each month, and helped with 1 million investigations in 2025, along with 10,000 missing-person cases.

The objections haven’t changed. Critics say ALPR systems let police collect huge amounts of data on drivers who haven’t done anything wrong: license plates, timestamps, and location records, often without a warrant, probable cause, or reasonable suspicion. That can include routine trips to work, visits to doctors, attendance at protests, and travel to places of worship.

They also point to false matches and cases where the systems were allegedly used for stalking. The Los Angeles Police Department walked away from its Flock Safety contract over questions about who controls the data and how it’s shared. Other departments have paused their agreements or dropped them outright. And an August YouGov poll showed the public split against police use, with 46% opposed and 38% in support, including in places such as Houston-area communities, Toledo, and Kyle, according to YouGov.

Anyone who pays attention to surveillance policy in the US should keep an eye on this.

Expect the American Civil Liberties Union to keep pressing for tighter rules on data retention, access, and warrants. Expect the industry to back guardrails while resisting routine warrant requirements. And expect more scrutiny of America’s patchwork approach, especially when it’s set beside the clearer frameworks used in the UK, the EU, and Canada.