PHILADELPHIA, PA – Philadelphia City Council has approved a resolution pressing Pennsylvania leaders to ban or tightly regulate automatic license plate readers, including Flock cameras, over concerns about privacy, data security and mass surveillance.
Councilmember Rue Landau introduced the measure, which council considered Thursday during public testimony. The resolution says the technology has spread quickly while remaining largely unregulated, and it argues that state lawmakers should act now to set limits on how the cameras are used.
The vote does not itself change state law, but it adds the city’s voice to a growing debate over how far license plate reader systems should be allowed to reach.
Council members focus on data storage, tracking and constitutional concerns
The resolution centers on worries that ALPR systems collect and store far more information than ordinary traffic enforcement cameras. Council members and supporters pointed to the risk of long-term data retention, insecure storage and the potential for tracking people’s movements without adequate safeguards.
Landau’s measure says the cameras are different from speed cameras, red-light cameras and toll cameras because they are not triggered by a violation. Instead, they continuously record everything that passes within view and can save information for later sharing with surveillance databases.
That distinction, according to the resolution, makes them more invasive and raises constitutional questions about mass monitoring. The measure also urges state officials to consider stronger rules around who can access the data and how it can be used.
What the resolution wants Pennsylvania to do next
Landau’s resolution supports either a statewide ban or strong regulatory guardrails for ALPRs. Among the protections it endorses are warrants for tracking specific people or license plates, shorter data-retention periods and limits on how the information can be collected, used and disclosed.
The measure also calls for more transparency so the public can better understand how the systems operate and where the data ends up. Supporters say those rules would give law enforcement clearer boundaries while reducing the chance that large amounts of information are kept or shared unnecessarily.
The council action comes as multiple policy proposals and legislative ideas are already circulating in Harrisburg, though no statewide law is in place yet. Philadelphia’s resolution is intended to push that discussion toward a formal state policy.
Shapiro administration says Commonwealth agencies will not use Flock cameras
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has already taken a skeptical position on Flock cameras. In a statement provided by spokesperson Rosie Lapowsky, the governor’s office said Shapiro has serious concerns about how the devices are being used across Pennsylvania.
The statement said Commonwealth agencies, including the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, do not own Flock cameras and will not allow them to be installed or used on Commonwealth property. It also said the administration is working with the General Assembly on legislation that could protect Pennsylvanians’ privacy.
Lapowsky said several proposals in the Legislature would either ban the technology or strictly regulate it, and the administration wants a measure that can reach the governor’s desk.
Landau says federal access claims have been overstated
Landau also accused Flock of misleading customers about whether federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, can access the company’s national search network. That claim became part of the political pressure surrounding the resolution as council members weighed how much oversight the systems should face.
The councilmember’s criticism adds another layer to the debate: not only how local police use the cameras, but also what outside agencies may be able to see through connected databases. Those concerns helped shape the resolution’s call for tighter rules and clearer limits.
The city’s action reflects a broader concern among critics that the technology can be expanded beyond its original public-safety purpose without enough public oversight.
Flock says the cameras help solve crimes and find missing people
Asked for comment, a Flock spokesperson said the company’s technology is an important tool for law enforcement agencies across Pennsylvania. The spokesperson said the cameras help officers solve serious crimes and locate missing people.
Flock argued that a blanket ban would remove a proven investigative tool from agencies and communities that rely on it. The company said it supports bipartisan legislation with privacy, transparency and accountability guardrails, but wants law enforcement to keep access to the technology when used responsibly.
The spokesperson also said the Philadelphia Police Department is not a Flock customer. That distinction may matter as the city debates whether to urge restrictions on a system that is being discussed statewide but is not currently in use by Philadelphia police.
