Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Sunday, May 24, 2026

One line tucked into a federal highway bill would strip funds from cities and states unless they kill their automated plate tracking programs -- effectively banning the tech for all but toll collection.

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NEW: In the morning, lawmakers plan to introduce an amendment to a $580 billion transportation bill that would make federal highway funds contingent on states and cities killing off their automated license plate reader programs, i.e., Flock, in most cases.

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-- dell cameron (@dell.bsky.social) 6:01 PM · May 20, 2026

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More from the article ...

... US lawmakers plan to introduce an amendment Thursday at a House committee markup hearing that would prohibit any recipient of federal highway funding from using automated license plate readers for any purpose other than tolling"a sweeping restriction that, if adopted, would bring an immediate end to state and local ALPR programs across the United States.

The amendment, obtained first by WIRED, is sponsored by Representative Scott Perry, a Pennsylvania Republican and Freedom Caucus member, and Representative Jess "Chuy" Garca, an Illinois progressive whose state has become a flash point in the national fight over ALPR misuse. ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-05-23 08:17 PM | Reply

Flock may have an issue with this ...

Clear evidence.
Safer communities.
Privacy first.
www.flocksafety.com

... Flock connects communities, businesses, and public safety so incidents can be understood clearly and decisions can be made on facts ...

#2 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-05-23 11:52 PM | Reply

Another view ...

When Flock Cameras Appear: Everything You Need to Know About This Surveillance Tech (April 2026)
www.cnet.com

... I have up-close experience with Flock, as my current city, Bend, Oregon, ended its contract with surveillance company Flock Safety earlier this year, after a public campaign protesting the cams -- and some very active city council meetings. Flock's controversial AI-powered license plate cameras were shut down, and its partnership with local law enforcement ended over privacy concerns.

We weren't the only city to reject Flock cameras: In the past two years, dozens of towns have suspended or deactivated contracts with Flock over concerns about how the cameras could be used, as well as weak contract language. But you might not even know if Flock has come to your town: Sometimes these automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, appear in neighborhoods without warning. ...


#3 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-05-23 11:55 PM | Reply

Welcome to DeFlock
An open-source project mapping license plate readers.
deflock.org

... What are ALPRs

Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs or LPRs) are AI-powered cameras that capture and analyze images of all passing vehicles, storing details like your car's location, date, and time. They also capture your car's make, model, color, and identifying features such as dents, roof racks, and bumper stickers, often turning these into searchable data points.

These cameras collect data on millions of vehicles regardless of whether the driver is suspected of a crime. These systems are marketed as indispensable tools to fight crime, but they ignore the powerful tools police already have to track criminals, such as cell phone location data, creating a loophole that doesn't require a warrant. ...


#4 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-05-23 11:58 PM | Reply

@#4 ... They also capture your car's make, model, color, and identifying features such as dents, roof racks, and bumper stickers, often turning these into searchable data points. ...

So, if you have a political sticker on your car, Flock can report that to Pres Trump who may then take revenge if he does not like the political sticker on your vehicle?

#5 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-05-24 12:01 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 4

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