MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin's two U.S. senators are raising bipartisan concerns about Flock cameras, with both calling for stronger restrictions on how data collected by the license plate readers is gathered and used.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin said the stories she reads about Flock camera abuse are unacceptable and that there needs to be a balance between public safety and protecting people's privacy.
"I don't want to read another story about somebody stalking an ex-girlfriend using Flock data," Baldwin said.
Baldwin said she believes the issue is best handled at the local level, where police and community leaders can respond to crime and safety concerns directly.
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"I think those are local discussions, and I want to give local communities leeway, noting what are the crime challenges and the public safety challenges that they're dealing with," Baldwin said. "But I do think that they need to have strong safeguards about who and how the data can be accessed, and it's really, really important that we keep in mind that the government should not be ever surveilling its citizens."
There is also talk about federal legislation — called the Flock Off Act — that was just proposed and would restrict federal funding of Flock cameras.
Sen. Ron Johnson also weighed in, saying in a statement that "Flock cameras certainly could play an important role in law enforcement, but it is hard to defend their use," citing concerns about "what information is being gathered and how it is used."
Johnson added that "until appropriate restrictions are placed on data gathering and usage, I support limiting or banning their use."
This story was reported on-air by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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