Florida bans ALPR permits, sparking shift to rival surveillance vendors

At a press briefing, Governor Ron DeSantis declared that Florida will revoke every law-enforcement ALPR permit on state highways and strip the devices by the end of September, citing concerns over an AI-driven surveillance state. The decision follows Texas’s recent order to halt funding for Flock cameras and a record number of city contract terminations with the Oakland-based firm in August 2026. Advocacy groups highlight past abuses, including officers misusing plate data to stalk private individuals.

While stricter data-deletion mandates—such as New Hampshire’s three-minute rule—are suggested as safeguards, other vendors like Motorola, Rekor and Axon are poised to replace Flock’s hardware. Rekor’s vice president Charlie Degliomini calls for national rules that anonymize non-hotlist data, and Axon’s CEO Rick Smith has floated redesigning cameras to avoid the Flock-like appearance. The debate now centers on regulatory frameworks rather than targeting a single supplier.