‘Big brother is already here’: Warnock, senators push for federal guardrails on Flock cameras

WASHINGTON — Concerns regarding Flock Safety surveillance cameras have reached Capitol Hill, where U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and other lawmakers are calling for urgent federal guardrails to curb misuse.

Speaking in Washington on Wednesday, Warnock pointed to the arrests of 20 Georgia law enforcement officers accused of abusing the license plate reader technology, including incidents in Savannah.

“Right now, it’s open season, and that’s unacceptable,” Warnock said. “Big brother is already here.”

Warnock’s remarks came ahead of a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on crime and counterterrorism examining the privacy and security risks tied to automated license plate reading systems.

Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., described the scope of Flock’s network as alarming, highlighting how artificial intelligence links thousands of cameras nationwide.

“What seems to make these networks unique is not just the sheer number of cameras, it’s that they’re all linked together and powered and searchable by AI,” Hawley said.

Flock’s chief executive officer declined an invitation to testify at the hearing. According to Hawley, the company acknowledged conducting minimal oversight of customer searches, instead expecting law enforcement agencies to audit themselves.

During the hearing, Atlanta cybersecurity engineer Benn Jordan testified that breaching Flock devices requires minimal effort. Jordan said one researcher discovered 50 security vulnerabilities on a baseline model.

“By pushing the button on the camera three times, I was able to access all of the data or reprogram the device however I wanted in under a minute,” Jordan testified. “Back door, malware, I even played Doom on a Flock camera.”

Civil liberties advocates also warned lawmakers that policies alone rarely prevent bad actors from exploiting access.

The issue hit close to home in Savannah, where the Savannah Police Department previously stated it had internal safeguards in place that were bypassed by employees. The city awaits recommendations from its civil service board regarding fired officers appealing their terminations over camera misuse.

Warnock said any federal legislation must move from reactive measures to proactive technological guardrails that block unauthorized searches before they occur.

Hawley closed the hearing by emphasizing constitutional protections as AI and surveillance expand, stating, “The Bill of Rights is more important now than ever.”