Senator Sanders Introduces Bill to Bar Federal Use of Automated License‑Plate Technology

Senator Bernie Sanders has put forward a bill that would bar the federal government from using the surveillance system called Flock and would also extend the prohibition to every automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) technology employed by federal agencies.

Presented in a congressional filing, the proposal aims to seal a loophole that critics argue permits wide‑scale, real‑time vehicle tracking without sufficient oversight. By singling out Flock and then expanding the ban to any automated system that records and retains license‑plate information, the measure seeks to rein in what legislators call unchecked government surveillance.

Supporters contend that ALPRs, capable of scanning and recording thousands of plates each hour, pose serious privacy risks. The information gathered can be merged with other databases to construct comprehensive travel histories of people, often without their awareness or permission. Under the bill, agencies would have to remove current installations and would be barred from new purchases unless Congress passes a distinct, narrowly defined exemption.

Advocates cite an expanding body of research and civil‑rights work that underscores how mass vehicle tracking disproportionately affects marginalized groups. They observe that law‑enforcement bodies have come to depend on ALPRs for tasks ranging from finding stolen cars to surveilling protests, muddling the distinction between legitimate policing and pervasive monitoring.

Critics, among them a number of federal law‑enforcement officials, argue that the technology serves an important public‑safety function and that an outright prohibition could impede investigations. They maintain that current privacy protections—like limits on data retention and mandatory audits—adequately mitigate worries without needing to remove the tool altogether.

The proposal now moves to committee, where a partisan divide is anticipated. Should it pass, it could establish a benchmark for wider limits on governmental deployment of emerging surveillance tools, spurring comparable bills in state legislatures. The discussion highlights a broader national dialogue on reconciling security goals with civil liberties amid ever‑more advanced data‑gathering technologies.