State Sen. Michael Testa, Jr. (R-Vineland) plans to introduce legislation imposing privacy safeguards on the rapidly expanding use of Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers in New Jersey while preserving the technology as a law enforcement tool.
The proposal would allow police to continue using automated license plate reader, or ALPR, technology but place statutory restrictions on how motorists’ information may be collected, retained and shared.
Testa has not released the bill’s language but said Wednesday that the measure would codify protections for New Jersey residents as the cameras become more widely deployed across the state.
“New Jersey residents should not have to wonder whether their movements are quietly being tracked or surrender their privacy because technology makes it possible,” Testa said. “The legislation that I will be introducing will establish commonsense protections for law-abiding citizens while still allowing law enforcement to use this technology to catch dangerous criminals.”
Flock cameras and other ALPR systems capture license plate numbers and states of issuance, along with a vehicle’s make, model, color, body type and distinctive features, such as roof racks or dents. The systems also record when and where a vehicle was photographed.
New Jersey law enforcement agencies already operate under a 2022 directive issued by former Attorney General Matt Platkin that established standards for ALPR data access, retention, sharing and oversight. Testa said those safeguards should be written into state law.
“In New Jersey, tools like Flock cameras can help fight crime—but only with real guardrails in place to prevent abuse,” Testa said in a social media post announcing the proposal.
The proliferation of ALPR systems has drawn scrutiny from privacy advocates, who warn that the technology could facilitate widespread government surveillance and the large-scale collection of data on motorists who are not suspected of crimes.
The American Civil Liberties Union has accused Flock Safety of “quietly trying to build a nationwide mass surveillance system.”
Flock disputes that characterization, maintaining that law enforcement agencies—not the company—decide whether information is shared with other jurisdictions.
“It is always put to the customer. Sharing is always in control of the agency, never up to Flock,” Flock Chief of Staff Holly Beilin said in a video released in April. She said agencies may choose to share data statewide or nationwide or decline to share it altogether.
Outside groups have also begun tracking the locations of ALPR cameras. Deflock Maps, a crowdsourced surveillance map, estimates that roughly 1,530 cameras are operating in New Jersey, with reported locations in all 21 counties.
Testa said he expects to introduce the legislation formally during the Senate’s next quorum call, anticipated in September.