Gov. Ron DeSantis isn’t happy with the way law enforcement is using license plate readers across Florida. On Wednesday, August 26, 2026, he called the situation “out of control” and said the Legislature needs to step in to make sure people’s privacy isn’t tossed aside.
Standing at a news conference at Florida International University, DeSantis made it clear: he’s all for giving cops the tools they need to catch criminals. Flock Safety and similar companies designed these license plate cameras to assist with toll collection. Now, they’re creeping into round-the-clock criminal surveillance, mostly handled by local police and sheriff’s offices, not the state. He pointed out that state agencies use this tech far less than local departments do.
“No one’s been stronger on law enforcement than me,” DeSantis said, “but I don’t want to have this become a surveillance state.” That’s the line he keeps drawing, backing crime-fighting tech but not at the expense of everyone else’s privacy.
Just this week, Manatee County commissioners shot down a plan to install Flock cameras at county buildings. Clearly, there’s some resistance. And this isn’t the first time DeSantis has raised alarms about artificial intelligence and high-tech tracking. He supported an AI bill of rights, hoping to put some guardrails around surveillance tools like these cameras. The Senate passed something, but the House didn’t follow.
Any real limits will need the Florida Legislature’s approval, DeSantis said. He’s looking at how New Hampshire does things and thinking Florida might need a similar approach. “People are right to be concerned,” he said. “Surveilling ordinary people’s movements and how that data’s used is a different story.”
DeSantis didn’t lay out a specific bill or deadline, so there’s nothing set in stone yet. But he’s pushing the privacy issue to the front of the conversation.
