Flock

Ron DeSantis Says Flock Cameras Are 'Out of Control,' But Florida's Already Flooded With Surveillance

Florida police departments have been adding drones, facial recognition technology, and license plate readers to their arsenals for years.

C.J. Ciaramella | 8.27.2026 1:45 PM

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(Photo: Aaron Schwartz - Pool via CNP/MEGA/RSSIL/Newscom)

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a press conference Wednesday that automated license plate cameras such as Flock are "out of control" in the state and called for new privacy regulations, addressing wide public criticism of the AI-powered surveillance technology.

"I'm all about law enforcement having tools to hold criminals accountable," DeSantis told media at Florida International University. "I think that's important that we do that, and no one's been stronger on law enforcement than me, but I don't want to have this become a surveillance state."

Too late.

Florida is already flooded with police surveillance technology, a trend that started in the post-9/11 era and accelerated rapidly in the past two years as the DeSantis........

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