California bill seeks tighter rules for Flock license-plate cameras

Senate Bill 1013, introduced by Senator Sabrina Cervantes, would impose training, logging, audits and a 30-day data-deletion rule on public use of automated license-plate readers, and now moves from the Senate to the Assembly.

Senator Sabrina Cervantes authored Senate Bill 1013 to create uniform statewide standards for public agencies using automated license-plate readers supplied by Flock Safety. The bill mandates officer training, searchable logs of database queries, annual audits by the California Department of Justice and automatic deletion of records after 30 days unless they are part of an ongoing criminal investigation. After passing the state Senate, the measure now proceeds to the Assembly and would need both chambers’ approval before Governor Gavin Newsom could sign it.

Privacy advocates, such as Seth Hall of the Trust SD Coalition, argue the legislation curbs mass surveillance, while Republican Senator Kelly Seyarto and San Diego police officials contend the 30-day limit may impede crime-solving efforts. The San Diego Police Department, which operates about 500 Flock cameras, already enforces a 30-day retention policy but is watching the bill’s outcome. This effort follows Newsom’s earlier veto of a comparable bill that required a 60-day data-deletion rule.