Florida drivers are being tracked by a rapidly expanding web of license plate reader cameras, and in most cases, they have no idea where the devices are or who’s watching the data.

Flock Safety, the dominant vendor behind the technology, says it now partners with more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies across roughly 6,000 communities nationwide, running solar-powered cameras that log every passing vehicle’s plate, make, model and identifying features like bumper stickers using artificial intelligence. The company reports nearly 100,000 cameras are in place across more than 6,000 communities in 49 states, though it does not make a detailed list of camera locations publicly available.

Florida is one of the most heavily saturated states in the country. In St. Johns County alone, the Sheriff’s Office counted more than 160 license plate reader cameras in January, with that number expected to grow. Camera clusters have also been documented in Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando and St. Petersburg, with reports showing devices typically installed at city limits, major intersections, neighborhood and HOA entrances, and retail parking lot exits. 

Because neither Flock Safety nor most local agencies release official location data, the public is left largely in the dark about the scope of the surveillance in their own neighborhoods. That gap has prompted independent researchers to step in. The privacy-focused group DeFlock has built a crowdsourced map documenting camera locations, and its researchers argue the pace of adoption has outrun public debate, with one contributor telling a Jacksonville television station that mass surveillance concerns warrant a pause before further expansion. 

That’s a fair point, and one that should resonate regardless of party. These cameras aren’t being deployed after a public vote or a transparent legislative debate in most cities — they’re being installed quietly, often under the justification of solving crimes or locating missing persons, with limited disclosure to the taxpayers footing the bill. Supporters say the technology helps police close cases, but critics note the data could be used to track ordinary citizens who have never been accused of a crime, with little independent oversight of who accesses the database or why.

Some communities have started pushing back. A number of city councils around the country have voted to remove or reject Flock cameras altogether, while other jurisdictions have moved to add safeguards. San Jose, California, for instance, now limits how long camera data can be stored to 30 days and bars cameras near abortion clinics, health facilities and houses of worship. Florida has seen no comparable statewide guardrails to date.

For a state that prides itself on protecting individual liberty and limiting government overreach, the near-total absence of transparency requirements or data-retention limits on this technology stands out. Local law enforcement agencies deploying these systems answer to city councils and county commissions — the people who approved the contracts should also be the ones ensuring residents know where the cameras are, how long the data is kept, and who can access it. Right now, that accountability largely doesn’t exist.

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