The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office has completely suspended its license plate recognition camera program following a state directive that restricts the use of this technology on Florida roads, according to Univision 23.
The 84 Flock devices operated by the department are out of service, which has sparked an increasing debate about mass surveillance and citizen privacy.
Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz defended the program's record before announcing its complete suspension, noting that the devices helped apprehend individuals wanted for homicides and robberies, as well as locate kidnapped children and missing persons. However, she acknowledged the need to establish safeguards against misuse.
The south of Florida housed over a thousand Flock cameras in operation -about 372 in Miami-Dade and 863 in Broward, according to the independent DeFlock map.
Such an abundance of devices has sparked an ongoing debate about mass surveillance and citizen privacy.
DeSantis' stance
On August 31, the state Department of Transportation issued a memorandum revoking all previous authorizations for automatic license plate readers installed on state roads, with a 30-day deadline to remove the equipment.
The document, signed by Will Watts, the agency's operations director, cited a "recent exponential increase" in the deployment of police cameras and "worrying reports of misuse, data privacy issues, and surveillance plans" that demand immediate action "to preserve the sovereignty and quality of life of Floridians."
The measure fulfills a promise made by Governor Ron DeSantis, who days earlier had described the technology as "out of control" and warned about the risk of building a surveillance state based on artificial intelligence.
“I am fully in favor of law enforcement having the tools to hold criminals accountable. But I do not want this to turn into a surveillance state,” DeSantis stated.
In the podcast Real America's Voice, the governor went further: "These cameras that are out now... who says they only record license plates? I believe they also capture images of people inside their cars. I think they gather much more information than they admit. And we have already seen the abuses."
How do Flock cameras work and why are they not liked by everyone?
Unlike conventional cameras, Flock automatic license plate readers do not just take pictures of vehicles: they capture the license plate, make, model, color, and even unique features of the car such as dents, roof racks, and bumper stickers. They record the date, time, and exact location of each car that passes by.
«You pass by a place where the camera is located; the camera scans and records that you passed by, that is basically metadata,» explained to Univisión 23 Rod Soto, a cybersecurity researcher, who added that this data allows for tracking the entire route of a vehicle.
Martha Torres, spokesperson for the organization Iniciativa Libre Florida, questioned the use of that information. "We don't know who controls it, how it's controlled, to whom it's sold, and who is managing this information about citizens."
The DeFlock portal warns that these cameras collect data from millions of cars, even if the driver is not suspected of a crime. "They are marketed as essential tools for fighting crime, but they overlook the powerful tools that the police already have to track down criminals, such as mobile phone location data, creating a legal loophole that does not require a judicial warrant."
In favor of and against the cameras
The Florida order does not affect cameras installed on private properties or local roads, where 98% of the surveillance devices are concentrated, according to DeSantis.
Among those opposing the new restriction is Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner, who announced he will seek legislation to keep the cameras in his city, where approximately half of the 40 installed devices are located on state roads.
On the other hand, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office announced the immediate suspension of its program across Duval County.
Florida's Attorney General, James Uthmeier, also questioned the technology and pointed out documented cases where agents used it to surveil ex-partners or track individuals without legal justification.
According to the Institute for Justice, at least 24 cases of this kind were reported by mid-July, including one officer who checked his ex-girlfriend's license plate at least 69 times and another who tracked his ex-wife's vehicle 717 times over more than two years.
DeSantis, who warned about Flock cameras weeks ago, proposes the regulatory model of New Hampshire's law, which requires data captured to be deleted within three minutes unless it is linked to an active case, and he has urged the state legislature to pass similar regulations to protect the privacy of Floridians.
Other states have taken measures against Flock Safety, canceling or not renewing their contracts with the company. Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the suspension of state funding for these cameras, affecting more than 300 devices in Dallas.
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