Trump said last week that Flock cameras are under review

DeSantis, a Republican, said Wednesday that the use of automated license plate readers has gotten “out of control.” “No one’s been stronger on law enforcement than me—but I don’t want to have this become a surveillance state,” he said. He added that “people are right to be concerned” about the cameras and said the problem is best addressed with new legislation.

Flock Safety, the largest supplier of automated-license-plate-reader systems, has 120,000 cameras deployed in 49 states and captures 20 billion license plates a month. The cameras photograph the back of passing vehicles and collect license-plate data along with other identifying information. Flock did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The governor said he has asked for an overview of how Florida state agencies use the cameras and is reviewing laws in New Hampshire that restrict how the devices operate. New Hampshire has enacted restrictions on the cameras, DeSantis said, and he indicated Florida would examine comparable approaches.

DeSantis cited private vendors’ data collection as a particular concern. “I don’t want to be in a situation where these tech companies, a handful of tech companies, know everything about you and know where you’re going,” he said. “I know they collect a lot as it is, but I think it’s going to get a lot worse unless we have some protections for the people in Florida.”

President Trump said last week that Flock’s cameras were “under review.”

The fight over whether to deploy Flock’s cameras has caused tension in communities across the country, with some residents taking matters into their own hands—attacking the devices with saws or spray-painting over the lenses. Supporters of the technology say the cameras help police catch criminals. Critics argue the cameras violate privacy rights and have been used by officers to stalk innocent people.

Flock introduced new safeguards earlier this month. The company said it has tools to help identify misconduct and has blamed the public backlash on what it called “disinformation and a misunderstanding of its technology.”