A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced legislation aimed at halting the spread of AI‑enhanced surveillance cameras across American cities, citing privacy and constitutional concerns.
The bill, titled the FLOCK‑OFF Act, is cosponsored by U.S. Reps. Thomas Massie (R‑Ky.) and Eric Burlison (R‑Mo.), and seeks to prohibit the use of federal taxpayer money to purchase, lease, or operate cameras that employ Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) or biometric data collection technology.
Massie said the measure is intended to curb what he called a growing “surveillance state.”
“The federal government shouldn’t provide ‘security’ grants to cities and police departments that have gone beyond the pale and turned their communities into a version of 1984,” he said. “Federal taxpayers should not be forced to fund the surveillance state.”
Under the proposed legislation, any state or local government, police department, or federally funded entity would be barred from using federal money to install or maintain such systems. It also forbids renewing contracts or reimbursing private parties for the technology’s upkeep.
Burlison emphasized that the bill is rooted in constitutional protections.
“Technology may change, but our constitutional rights do not,” he said. “The Fourth Amendment protects Americans from unreasonable searches, and advances in surveillance technology should not come at the expense of our privacy and liberty.”
The bill requires agencies and companies currently receiving federal funds for surveillance systems to remove and cease operation within 180 days of enactment. Exceptions are carved out for U.S. Border Patrol cameras used within one mile of the northern or southern border for border‑security purposes, and for toll‑collection systems.
As of September 2026, independent mapping projects estimate more than 138,000 ALPR‑enabled cameras are active across the United States. Companies such as Flock Safety, Axon Enterprise, and Motorola Solutions dominate the market. Critics say the technology enables mass tracking of law‑abiding citizens and has been misused for harassment and stalking.
Privacy advocates warn that federal agencies can purchase data collected by these cameras from private companies, effectively outsourcing surveillance that would otherwise require warrants. According to OpenSecrets, Flock Safety alone has spent over $2 million on federal and state lobbying since 2025.
Supporters of the FLOCK‑OFF Act argue that it’s a necessary step to restore privacy rights and limit government overreach in the age of AI‑driven monitoring.
