Florida halts all new license plate reader camera permits and orders existing ones removed within 30 days

Florida's government is pulling the plug on special cameras that read car license plates on state roads. On Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration announced it would stop giving out permits for these cameras. Any cameras already in place must be taken down within 30 days. Officials say the cameras raise big concerns about privacy and how people's information is being used.

The cameras are called license plate readers, or LPRs. They use artificial intelligence — a type of computer technology — to spot suspects and catch speeders. Companies like Flock Safety make these cameras, and they have popped up all over Florida's roads in recent years. However, reports of police misusing the cameras, both in Florida and across the country, have caused people on both sides of the political aisle to question whether they should be allowed.

Florida's Department of Transportation sent a memo, which is an official written message, to local law enforcement agencies. The memo said the state is taking back its permission for police to use the cameras on state roads. The department's chief operating officer, Will Watts, wrote that the fast rise in camera use, combined with worrying reports of misuse and data privacy problems, made quick action necessary. He said the goal is to protect Floridians' freedom and quality of life.

Governor DeSantis spoke about the issue at an event in Jacksonville on Monday. He said he has supported giving law enforcement strong tools, but those tools should be aimed at criminals — not ordinary people. He warned that the cameras could be used to track where people go every day and that the data could even be sold to businesses for advertising. "If they can create a dossier on your movements, they would be able to make a fortune in selling that to companies for advertising and product placement," DeSantis said.

DeSantis also brought up the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of how the cameras could be misused. He said that if these cameras had been widely used during the pandemic, governments might have used them to watch people who went outside during lockdowns. He pointed to California as a state where that might have happened. He made clear that even if police do not plan to spy on regular people now, the risk that someone could misuse the cameras in the future is too great.

The governor also admitted that local sheriffs have likely used the cameras in helpful ways. Even so, he said the dangers of misuse outweigh the benefits. He added that Florida does not currently have strong enough penalties, or punishments, for people who misuse the cameras. Going forward, the state will not issue any new permits for license plate reader cameras on roads under its control, and police agencies that already have cameras must remove them within 30 days.