The use of Flock camera surveillance has been one of the most widely discussed and hotly debated issues on my Facebook page.
Americans should imagine the tyranny that would have reigned if Flock Safety surveillance cameras were widespread during the coronavirus lockdowns, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said this week, calling for legislation “that will protect Floridians from allowing the state to turn into some type of digital prison, digital surveillance state where somebody knows everything about what you’re doing every day of the week.”
There has been growing national backlash against the use of AI-powered license plate reader cameras, particularly in the Sunshine State, leading Florida’s transportation department to revoke local police departments’ authority to install license plate reader cameras on state highways. Some Florida county sheriffs are going above and beyond and removing the cameras, while others are doing the bare minimum and ignoring the outcry from their communities.
DeSantis said during a press conference this week that, at the county level, law enforcement claims it is using the technology to focus on criminal activity. However, he said it is crucial to realize the scope of the issue and understand that this technology could easily be misused — as it already has been.
By Hannah Knudsen
