Flock cameras draw opposition from across the political spectrum

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently blocked the use of license plate readers on state roads, joining a host of other elected officials and political candidates speaking out against the law enforcement surveillance technology. Joe Raedle/Getty Images North America hide caption

There are plenty of issues Republicans and Democrats disagree on, but increasingly, they're aligned on this: they want Flock surveillance cameras gone.

The widespread backlash against AI-powered license plate readers, which allow police to track people over time, is becoming more of a political issue as the midterm elections approach in races from Florida to Ohio and Wisconsin .

At a press conference late last month, Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said he believes law enforcement needs public safety tools, but Flock cameras are not among them.

"I would welcome bipartisan legislation to ban these across the state," Shapiro said. "This is not something in the public interest."

Earlier this week, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced plans to revoke permits for license plate readers on state highways.

"I'm all about having law enforcement have tools," DeSantis said. "But I don't want to have this become a surveillance state."

Every month, Flock cameras capture billions of license plates, along with other vehicle data. Police say this tool helps them find stolen vehicles and missing people. But the technology has been abused. Officers have used it to stalk ex-partners , for instance.