The U.S. Senate has opened an inquiry into Flock Safety, a major manufacturer of automated license-plate readers, over its data collection and search practices. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, sent a letter on Aug. 26 to Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley, demanding documents and answers by Sept. 8, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Reclaim The Net.

 

The letter states that the company operates more than 120,000 automated license-plate reader cameras across 49 states, generating more than 20 billion vehicle scans per month. The inquiry targets the scale of this network, the retention of the data it collects, and the search capabilities available to its customers, according to the letter. A Flock Safety spokesperson confirmed receipt of the letter and said the company will respond to the subcommittee. This nationwide system records vehicle location data on a vast scale, creating a digital record of drivers' movements