Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is speaking out against the growing use of license plate reader cameras, which have spread quietly throughout Florida communities while collecting large amounts of vehicle data.
He warned that tools promoted as crime-fighting measures can also threaten everyday privacy when safeguards are weak.
Here's what to know
Speaking at Florida International University, DeSantis said the network of license plate reader cameras used across Florida, including systems like Flock, has become "out of control," according to WFLA.
He said police need strong tools to catch criminals, but argued that support shouldn't come with sweeping public surveillance.
"I'm all about law enforcement having tools to hold criminals accountable," he said. "I think that's important that we do that, and no one's been stronger on law enforcement than me, but I don't want to have this become a surveillance state."
Among the problems he highlighted were allegations that officers had abused the system. WFLA reported that one officer was accused of using Flock data to track his estranged wife, and another was accused of looking up the same vehicle more than 300 times without an investigative reason.
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More background
License plate reader cameras can capture and log where vehicles travel, allowing law enforcement agencies to search that information later.
Supporters say that capability can help solve crimes more quickly, while critics warn it creates a powerful record of people's movements, whether or not they're suspected of wrongdoing.
DeSantis said he'd wanted privacy safeguards included in an AI Bill of Rights he supported during the legislative session.
He framed the issue as part of a fight over how much personal information law enforcement systems and major tech companies can collect before people lose meaningful control over their own data.
What's being done?
He said any fix to the issue would have to come through state legislation.
The debate has also prompted political backlash. In response to DeSantis' comments, the Florida Democratic Party issued a statement in which its chair, Nikki Fried, said, "Republicans have been in charge for 30 years, and instead of protecting Floridians' privacy, they allowed this technology to spread without meaningful safeguards."
As DeSantis put it, "I think it's going to get a lot worse unless we have some protections for the people in Florida and so it's going to need to be there."
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