Congressional bill seeks to block federal money for AI-powered surveillance cameras

Lawmakers Thomas Massie and Eric Burlison have introduced the FLOCK OFF Act, a bipartisan proposal that would forbid the use of federal grants for AI-enabled surveillance cameras, including those employing automated license-plate recognition or biometric data collection. The legislation would ban any direct or indirect spending on acquiring, installing, maintaining, or upgrading such systems by state, municipal or police entities that receive federal money, and it would halt renewal of current contracts.

Agencies would also be barred from reimbursing private firms for installing or servicing the equipment. The bill carves out a narrow exemption for U.S. Border Patrol cameras located within a mile of the nation’s borders and for cameras used in toll collection. Independent mapping groups have identified at least 138,000 ALPR cameras across the country, with companies like Flock Safety, Axon Enterprise and Motorola Solutions supplying much of the hardware.

Critics argue the technology enables unlawful tracking and that the federal government could purchase the collected data, effectively outsourcing surveillance. The act would require removal of the prohibited systems within 180 days of enactment.