Florida’s limited ban on Flock cameras only scratches the surface of widespread surveillance concerns

Flock cameras have popped up all over Florida, particularly in metro areas. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Automated license plate readers like Flock cameras have been quietly appearing on roadsides all over the U.S.

Florida is no exception: Over the past several years, law enforcement agencies across Florida have signed contracts with Flock Safety, one of the largest purveyors of these technologies. Crowdsourced mapping projects currently show nearly 10,000 cameras in Florida, with concentrations around major metropolitan areas. This is likely an undercounting, as these are the units observed by the public, not an official tally.