The Florida Department of Transportation blocked automated license plate cameras from state highways on Monday. This move means the Flock systems must be gone from state roads in 30 days. It does not stop local counties from using them on their own streets. Gov. Ron DeSantis made this call to stop what he sees as a surveillance state. The order came after he spoke on a podcast about the rapid growth of these devices.
State officials say the devices must be removed by next month. The governor noted that 98% of the roughly 8,000 cameras in Florida are run by local police, not the state. But he promised that any state agencies using them would take them down. He said he wants to “preserve Florida’s sovereignty and quality of life.” The memo cites a recent increase in deployments along roadways, noting reports regarding misuse, worries about data privacy, and surveillance schemes.
DeSantis previewed this action last week on a podcast. He said the cameras were once just for tolls but are now used for criminal surveillance. He warned against letting this become a “surveillance state.” During a press event at Florida International University, he called the technology “out of control.” He also backed new laws to regulate the cameras further.
🎥WATCH: @reaganreese_ asked President Trump about his stance on Flock cameras.
“It’s being studied right now… We’ll have an answer sort of as to our views on it over the next couple of weeks.” pic.twitter.com/8sGmzBdjPe
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 17, 2026
He questioned exactly what data these machines gather. “These cameras that are out there now — who’s to say they’re only doing the license plate?” he said. “Now, they say that. I think it’s capturing people in their cars. I think it’s capturing way more information than they’re letting on. And you’ve seen the abuse.” He added that he supports using them for immigration enforcement only if it is “very targeted.”
Even though the order only covers state roads, many counties are turning off their cameras too. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it would remove Flock cameras from the whole city. Sheriff T.K. Waters said community concerns made this the right choice. Franklin County Sheriff AJ Smith told WJHG that most of his cameras were on state roads, so he turned them off. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office also acted, citing “individual liberty.”
Other counties like Walton, Okaloosa, Liberty, and Calhoun are also shutting them down. Some locals cheered the move as a win for freedom. Others worry it will make solving crimes harder. One resident warned that if a loved one goes missing, people might blame the police. “It’s going to come with pros and cons,” the person wrote in a social media post.
This action in Florida follows a similar step in Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott banned state funds for these cameras after reports showed $30 million in grants. The debate is heating up across the country. A new poll in Texas shows 63.6% of Texans oppose Flock cameras in their neighborhoods. Even 54.7% of Republican voters in Texas oppose them.
In Pennsylvania, both the Democratic and Republican nominees for governor want to ban the tech. Gov. Josh Shapiro said he would “welcome bipartisan legislation to ban these across the state.” His rival, Stacy Garrity, called them an “intrusive invasion of privacy.” The American Civil Liberties Union says there are between 80,000 and 100,000 of these cameras in the U.S. They perform over 20 billion scans every month. President Donald Trump told the Daily Caller he is studying the issue and will have an answer soon.
