2026年8月26日 晚9:04 美国东部时间 / 福克斯新闻
参议员要求就谁能访问弗洛克每月200亿次车辆扫描的全国数据库一事给出答复
作者：斯蒂芬妮·普莱斯 福克斯新闻
隐私律师警告：弗洛克摄像头网络可能构成国家安全威胁
美国自由研究所第四修正案项目主任罗伯特·弗罗姆默呼吁引入搜查令要求，并警告称互联的车牌识别网络可能威胁美国人的隐私和国家安全。
NEW 您现在可以收听福克斯新闻文章的音频！
参议员乔什·霍利正在要求弗洛克安全公司给出答复，询问其快速扩张的人工智能摄像头网络是否帮助打造了一个可查询的美国人行动轨迹全国数据库，与此同时，全美各地的社区因日益加剧的隐私担忧纷纷停用该技术。
“弗洛克构建了前所未有的全国监控网络，”密苏里州共和党参议员霍利对福克斯新闻数字频道表示。“他们吹嘘在49个州部署了超过12万台摄像头，每月能完成超过200亿次车辆扫描。”
“我正在调查弗洛克摄像头，以确定谁能访问数亿美国人的数据，以及他们正在如何使用这些数据，”他补充道。“美国人理应得到答案。”
强力打击犯罪的监控技术扩张引发议员警告：‘奥威尔式’监控
2026年8月3日，加利福尼亚州伯班克，一名安装在路灯杆上的弗洛克安全摄像头航拍图。弗洛克安全的自动车牌识别摄像头已在49个州的12万多个地点部署，利用人工智能通过车牌、车型、颜色识别车辆，协助执法部门调查犯罪，同时也因大规模监控和收集驾车者位置数据的担忧遭到隐私倡导者的批评。(Getty Images)
美国自由研究所第四修正案项目主任罗伯特·弗罗姆默对福克斯新闻数字频道表示，核心担忧并非摄像头的使用本身，而是警方无需先获得法官批准就能查询一个人的过往行动轨迹。
“我认为这里最需要的一项改革是搜查令，”弗罗姆默说。“前往法官处，向法官解释你为何能够使用这一工具。”
田纳西州市长辩称：弗洛克安全摄像头在进一步部署前需合宪性保障
2026年4月3日，纽约州特洛伊市，抗议者在市政厅外集会反对使用弗洛克摄像头。(吉姆·弗兰科/《泰晤士联盟》 via Getty Images)
弗罗姆默表示，警方在真正的紧急情况下仍应能够立即采取行动，包括涉及迫在眉睫的危险或失踪人员的案件，但如果当时没有时间获取搜查令，事后应证明搜查的合理性。
“大多数执法搜查都是在犯罪发生后几天内进行的，”他说。“你不需要保留一个记录所有人行动的庞大数据库。”
弗洛克监控业务席卷南部，红州议员试图废除‘1984’式追踪工具
作为参议院司法委员会犯罪与反恐小组委员会主席，霍利于周三致信弗洛克首席执行官加勒特·兰利，启动了此次调查。
这位密苏里州共和党人表示，弗洛克的摄像头网络远远超出了执法监控工具传统用途所设想的、离散的本地调查范围。
家得宝和劳氏店内的车牌摄像头引发隐私担忧
2026年2月10日，华盛顿特区哈特参议院办公楼，参议员乔什·霍利（密苏里州共和党）在参议院听证会上发言。(迈克尔·M·圣地亚哥/Getty Images)
“这些摄像头网络并未按照我们的宪法程序和保障措施所设想的那样服务于离散的本地调查，而是利用人工智能将其捕获的信息整合到一个全国数据库中，供客户查询，”霍利写道。
弗洛克的自动车牌识别摄像头可捕捉过往车辆，并记录包括车辆车牌、外观描述、地点和时间在内的细节。这家总部位于亚特兰大的公司将其技术推销给执法机构、企业和业主协会。
‘达斯·维达’用黑暗面嘲讽有争议的监控摄像头：‘皇帝是弗洛克的粉丝’
2026年8月3日，加利福尼亚州比弗利山庄，安装在路灯杆上的弗洛克安全摄像头。(贾斯汀·沙利文/Getty Images)
在给福克斯新闻数字频道的一份声明中，弗洛克安全公司发言人帕里斯·卢贝尔表示，公司已收到霍利的来信，并将直接回应小组委员会的问题。
“我们期待与霍利参议员和小组委员会合作，提供更多关于我们技术运作方式、平台内置保障措施以及执法机构如何使用弗洛克技术破案和寻找失踪人员的背景信息，”卢贝尔说。
霍利表示，执法部门需要工具来抓获罪犯、保障社区安全，但他认为美国人不必在日常出行时牺牲自己的隐私。
大卫·马库斯：中国之行展现了美国绝不能变成的监控国家
2026年8月19日，马里兰州银泉市靠近华盛顿特区边境的16号大街，一辆Axon自动车牌识别摄像头正在监控交通。(自动车牌识别摄像头在马里兰州监控交通。)
“美国人开车上班、送孩子上学或去教堂时，并不会放弃他们的隐私权利，”霍利写道。“最高法院已经承认，对一个人行动轨迹的全面回溯记录，与在公共场合的普通观察在性质上是不同的。”
众议员基思·塞尔夫（德克萨斯州共和党）在周三的X平台帖子中呼应了霍利的担忧，认为第四修正案“不是用来‘妥协’的”。
“我们的建国者们冒着生命危险，不是为了让一名首席执行官为了利润和所谓的‘安全’而交易我们的权利，”塞尔夫写道，他援引了本杰明·富兰克林关于为暂时安全放弃基本自由的警告。
Axon最先报道了霍利的调查。
弗罗姆默表示，弗洛克所称的机构可控制自身数据共享设置的说法，并不能解决隐私问题，因为这些机构可能会连接到远超其预期的更广泛网络。
“从技术上讲，他们控制数据只是一个虚假承诺，现实表明，这些数据的传播范围往往远超机构的预期，”他说。
此次审查之际，越来越多的城市和县正在重新考虑与弗洛克的合作关系，理由是对数据共享、隐私和潜在滥用的担忧。
周二，普弗尔维尔市议会一致投票终止与弗洛克的协议。据该市透露，市政府工作人员将关闭合同覆盖的全部28台自动车牌识别摄像头，并禁用该系统的访问权限。
“公共安全和公众信任必须相辅相成，而最近有关弗洛克系统的爆料引发了整个社区的担忧；我们不能与我们无法信任的组织合作，”普弗尔维尔市长道格·魏斯在一份声明中表示。
普弗尔维尔警方自2020年起使用弗洛克摄像头。该市曾考虑签订一份包含更新后的隐私、安全和数据政策的新两年期协议，但官员们表示，他们对该公司达到该市标准的能力失去了信心。
外国敌人以令人震惊的简单方式追踪海外美军，议员警告
弗洛克安全首席执行官在反对声中为人工智能监控摄像头辩护
“自动车牌识别技术是一种宝贵的调查工具，我们亲眼目睹了它在紧急事件中保护我们社区的能力，”普弗尔维尔警察局长威利·理查兹说。“但无论这个工具多么有用，我们必须确信我们设置的保障措施和参数能够完全按预期发挥作用。不幸的是，我们对当前系统和供应商达到我们的数据和隐私标准的能力失去了信心。”
卢贝尔表示，弗洛克尊重普弗尔维尔的决定，并提到该市曾参与德克萨斯州的全州共享网络，她称这与机构之间的一对一共享有所不同。
“全州共享允许参与的德克萨斯州机构使用完整车牌在整个网络中进行查询，”卢贝尔说。“机构可以控制其共享设置，并随时更改或撤销这些设置。”
卢贝尔表示，弗洛克的审计日志显示，自2024年以来，普弗尔维尔的全州共享功能一直处于启用状态，各机构每月都会收到电子邮件，详细说明其共享关系。
她表示，公司发现有两家州外机构被错误地归类为德克萨斯州机构，并被纳入全州网络。
“我们对这一错误负责，该错误已于数月前得到纠正，”卢贝尔说。
东北部城市投票终止ShotSpotter枪声检测技术合同，该技术旨在打击犯罪
2026年8月19日，马萨诸塞州波士顿，穆斯林正义联盟及其他活动人士向弗洛克安全公司办公室游行抗议。此次示威正值人们对该公司的车牌摄像头技术及其被执法部门使用的审查之际。(巴里·钦/《波士顿环球报》 via Getty Images)
在德克萨斯州胡德县，委员法院投票终止与弗洛克的合作关系，随后一致指示断开该县的三台摄像头电源并加以遮盖，直至拆除。
警长约翰·雪莉表示，他的办公室已执行法院的决定，并分享了摄像头被拔下电源并遮盖的照片。
“今天对胡德县人民的自由来说是美好的一天，”雪莉在Facebook帖子中写道。“这些摄像头一直在持续扫描和记录只是正常度日的普通民众。”
“这种永久性的、无需搜查令的追踪不属于自由社会，”他补充道。“隐私不是可选的，大规模监控也不是我们在这里的行事方式。”
美国城市因隐私担忧拒绝使用弗洛克摄像头
雪莉后来强调，他支持有助于警方破案、寻找失踪人员和定位危险嫌疑人的技术，但他表示，公共安全不能成为讨论个人自由的绊脚石。
“我们可以拥有良好的警务，同时仍然坚持边界，”他说。“我们可以使用技术，而不赋予政府无限的监控能力。”
- 图片1/3 下一页 胡德县警长约翰·雪莉在该县决定断开设备连接后遮盖弗洛克摄像头。(胡德县警长第2分局Facebook)
- 图片2/3 上一页 下一页 胡德县警长约翰·雪莉在该县终止与这家监控公司的协议后遮盖弗洛克摄像头。(胡德县警长第2分局Facebook)
- 图片3/3 上一页 德克萨斯州胡德县官员在该县终止与该公司的合作关系后，遮盖弗洛克自动车牌识别摄像头。(胡德县警长第2分局Facebook)
雪莉表示，这些摄像头仍属于弗洛克公司所有，他只是在执行委员法院的指示，而非独立行动。他告诉该公司：“来把你们的‘垃圾’从我县里弄走。”
亚利桑那州坦佩市也已关闭其弗洛克自动车牌识别系统，并将终止与该公司的合同，该市官员表示。
这些摄像头已不再收集车牌数据，坦佩市表示，其不打算聘请另一家公司替换该系统。
尽管坦佩警方表示，这些摄像头曾协助破案，但该市援引亚利桑那州及其他地区自动车牌识别系统近期的滥用案例，称这引发了人们对该技术相关风险的担忧。
据该市透露，坦佩警方未发现其自身的弗洛克系统存在滥用情况。弗洛克将拆除摄像头，坦佩市表示，除非数据与正在进行的案件或调查相关，否则此前收集的数据将在30天后自动删除。
点击此处下载福克斯新闻APP
弗罗姆默表示，宪法层面的担忧不仅限于弗洛克，还包括任何提供互联车牌识别技术的供应商。
“车牌识别技术作为一种工具，非常有帮助，能够协助破案，”他说。“但必须有保障措施，合宪性保障措施——无论它是弗洛克、Axon、摩托罗拉还是其他公司。”
斯蒂芬妮·普莱斯是福克斯新闻撰稿人，专注报道西海岸和中西部新闻、失踪人员案件、全国及国际犯罪故事、凶杀案和边境安全。
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6404102026112
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403882686112
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403114695112
Hawley rips Flock’s sprawling surveillance web as Texas cities cut cameras over privacy and data fears
August 26, 2026 9:04pm EDT / Fox News
The senator demands answers on who can access Flock’s national database of 20 billion monthly vehicle scans
By Stepheny Price Fox News
Privacy lawyer warns Flock camera network could pose national security threat
Robert Frommer, director of the Institute for Justice’s Project on the Fourth Amendment, calls for warrant requirements and warns that interconnected license plate reader networks could threaten Americans’ privacy and national security.
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!
Sen. Josh Hawley is demanding answers from Flock Safety over whether its rapidly expanding network of AI-powered cameras has helped create a searchable national database of Americans’ movements as communities across the country pull the plug on the technology amid mounting privacy concerns.
“Flock has assembled an unprecedented national surveillance network,” Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital. “They boast more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states and more than 20 billion vehicle scans every month.”
“I’m investigating Flock cameras to determine who has access to hundreds of millions of Americans’ data and what they’re doing with it,” he added. “Americans deserve answers.”
POWERFUL CRIME-FIGHTING SURVEILLANCE GROWTH SPURS LAWMAKERS TO ISSUE WARNING: ‘ORWELLIAN’
An aerial view shows a Flock Safety camera mounted to a light pole in Burbank, Calif., Aug. 3, 2026. Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader cameras have been deployed in over 120,000 locations across 49 states, using artificial intelligence to identify vehicles by their license plates, make, model and color to help law enforcement investigate crimes, while also drawing criticism from privacy advocates over concerns about mass surveillance and the collection of motorists’ location data.(Getty Images)
Robert Frommer, director of the Institute for Justice’s Project on the Fourth Amendment, told Fox News Digital the core concern is not simply the use of cameras, but police being able to search a person’s past movements without first getting approval from a judge.
“The No. 1 reform that I think is needed here is a warrant,” Frommer said. “Go to a judge, explain to the judge why you should be able to use this tool.”
FLOCK SAFETY CAMERAS NEED CONSTITUTIONAL GUARDRAILS BEFORE FURTHER DEPLOYMENT, TENNESSEE MAYOR ARGUES
Protesters rally against the use of Flock cameras April 3, 2026, outside City Hall in Troy, N.Y.(Jim Franco/ Times Union via Getty Images)
Frommer said police should still be able to act immediately in genuine emergencies, including cases involving imminent danger or missing people, but should be required to justify the search afterward if there was no time to obtain a warrant.
“Most law enforcement searches are things that happen within a few days of the crime,” he said. “You don’t need to be keeping this gigantic database on everybody’s movements.”
FLOCK SURVEILLANCE SPREADS ACROSS THE SOUTH AS RED STATE LAWMAKERS SEEK TO AX ‘1984’-STYLE TRACKING TOOLS
Hawley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, launched the investigation Wednesday in a letter to Flock CEO Garrett Langley.
The Missouri Republican said Flock’s camera network goes far beyond the discrete, local investigations for which law enforcement surveillance tools are traditionally used.
LICENSE PLATE CAMERAS AT HOME DEPOT AND LOWE’S SPARK PRIVACY FEARS
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., speaks during a Senate hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., Feb. 10.(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“Instead of serving discrete local investigations, as contemplated by our constitutional processes and safeguards, these camera networks harness artificial intelligence to pool what they capture into a national database that customers can search,” Hawley wrote.
Flock’s automated license plate reader cameras capture passing vehicles and can log details, including a vehicle’s license plate, description, location and time. The Atlanta-based company markets its technology to law enforcement agencies, businesses and homeowners associations.
‘DARTH VADER’ USES DARK SIDE TO MOCK CONTROVERSIAL SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS: ‘THE EMPEROR IS A FAN OF FLOCK’
A Flock Safety camera mounted to a light pole Aug. 3, 2026, in Beverly Hills, Calif.(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Flock Safety spokesperson Paris Lewbel said the company had received Hawley’s letter and would respond directly to the subcommittee’s questions.
“We look forward to working with Senator Hawley and the Subcommittee to provide additional context about how our technology works, the safeguards built into our platform and how law enforcement agencies use Flock to solve crime and find missing people,” Lewbel said.
Hawley said law enforcement needs tools to catch offenders and keep communities safe but argued Americans should not have to surrender their privacy while carrying out everyday routines.
DAVID MARCUS: CHINA TRIP A GLIMPSE INTO THE SURVEILLANCE STATE AMERICA MUST NEVER BECOME
Traffic passes an Axon automatic license plate reader camera along 16th Street Aug. 19, 2026, in Silver Spring, Md., near the Washington, D.C., border.(Automatic license plate reader camera monitors traffic in Maryland.)
“Americans do not surrender their privacy rights when they drive to work, drop their kids off at school, or go to church,” Hawley wrote. “The Supreme Court has recognized that a comprehensive, retrospective record of a person’s movements is different in kind from ordinary observation in public.”
Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, echoed Hawley’s concerns in a post Wednesday on X, arguing the Fourth Amendment “is not up for ‘compromise.’”
“Our Founders did not risk their lives so a CEO could trade our rights for profit and perceived ‘safety,’” Self wrote, invoking Benjamin Franklin’s warning against giving up essential liberty for temporary safety.
Axios first reported Hawley’s investigation.
Frommer said Flock’s position that agencies control their own data-sharing settings does not resolve the privacy issue when those agencies can be connected to far broader networks than they realize.
“The fact that they technically control the data is a false promise when reality has shown that these things are often spread much further than agencies expected,” he said.
The scrutiny comes as a growing number of cities and counties reconsider their relationships with Flock, citing concerns over data sharing, privacy and the potential for misuse.
On Tuesday, the Pflugerville City Council voted unanimously to end the Texas city’s agreement with Flock. City staff will turn off all 28 automated license plate reader cameras covered by the contract and disable access to the system, according to the city.
“Public safety and public trust have to go hand in hand, and recent revelations about the Flock system have fueled concerns throughout the community; we can’t engage with organizations we can’t trust,” Pflugerville Mayor Doug Weiss said in a statement.
Pflugerville police had used Flock cameras since 2020. The city had considered a new two-year agreement that included updated privacy, security and data policies, but officials said they lost confidence in the company’s ability to meet the city’s standards.
FOREIGN ENEMIES HAVE A SHOCKINGLY SIMPLE WAY TO TRACK US TROOPS OVERSEAS, LAWMAKERS WARN
Flock Safety CEO defends AI surveillance cameras amid backlash
“ALPR technology is a valuable investigative tool, and we have seen firsthand its ability to help protect our community during critical incidents,” Pflugerville Police Chief Willie Richards said. “But as useful as this tool is, we must have confidence that the safeguards and settings we put in place function exactly as intended. Unfortunately, we’ve lost confidence in the current system and the vendor’s ability to meet our data and privacy standards.”
Lewbel said Flock respects Pflugerville’s decision and said the city had participated in Texas’ statewide sharing network, which she described as distinct from one-to-one sharing between agencies.
“Statewide sharing allows participating Texas agencies to search across the network using a full license plate,” Lewbel said. “Agencies control their sharing settings and can change or revoke them at any time.”
Lewbel said Flock’s audit logs showed statewide sharing had been enabled for Pflugerville since 2024, and that agencies receive monthly emails detailing their sharing relationships.
She said the company identified two out-of-state agencies that had been mistakenly categorized as Texas agencies and included in the statewide network.
“We take responsibility for that error, which was corrected months ago,” Lewbel said.
NORTHEASTERN CITY VOTES TO END SHOTSPOTTER CONTRACT FOR GUNFIRE-DETECTION TECH DESIGNED TO FIGHT CRIME
Members of the Muslim Justice League and other activists march toward Flock Safety offices during a protest Aug. 19, 2026, in Boston, Mass. The demonstration came amid scrutiny of the company’s license plate camera technology and its use by law enforcement.(Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
In Hood County, Texas, the Commissioners Court voted to end its relationship with Flock and later unanimously directed that the county’s three cameras be disconnected and covered until they can be removed.
Constable John Shirley said his office carried out the court’s decision, sharing photos of the cameras unplugged and covered.
“Today is a good day for the Freedom of the people of Hood County,” Shirley wrote in a Facebook post. “These cameras were constantly scanning and recording regular folks just going about their day.
“That kind of permanent, warrantless tracking doesn’t belong in a free society,” he added. “Privacy isn’t optional, and mass surveillance isn’t how we do things here.”
American cities reject Flock cameras due to privacy concerns
Shirley later stressed that he supports technology that helps police solve crimes, find missing people and locate dangerous suspects, but he said public safety cannot end the conversation about individual liberty.
“We can have good policing and still insist on boundaries,” he said. “We can use technology without giving government unlimited surveillance capability.”
- Image 1 of 3 next Hood County Constable John Shirley covers a Flock camera after the county moved to disconnect the devices.(Hood County Constable, Precinct 2 Facebook)
- Image 2 of 3 prev next Hood County Constable John Shirley covers a Flock camera after the county ended its agreement with the surveillance company.(Hood County Constable, Precinct 2 Facebook)
- Image 3 of 3 prev Officials in Hood County, Texas, cover a Flock automated license plate reader camera after the county ended its relationship with the company.(Hood County Constable, Precinct 2 Facebook)
Shirley said the cameras remain Flock’s property and that he was carrying out the Commissioners Court’s direction, not acting independently. He told the company to “come get your garbage out of my county.”
Tempe, Arizona, has also turned off its Flock automated license plate reader system and will end its contract with the company, city officials said.
The cameras are no longer collecting license plate data, and Tempe said it does not plan to hire another company to replace the system.
While Tempe police said the cameras had helped solve crimes, the city cited recent misuse of automated license plate reader systems in Arizona and elsewhere as raising concerns about the risks associated with the technology.
Tempe police found no misuse of its own Flock system, according to the city. Flock will remove the cameras, and Tempe said previously collected data will be automatically deleted after 30 days unless it is tied to an ongoing case or investigation.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Frommer said the constitutional concerns extend beyond Flock to any provider of interconnected license plate reader technology.
“License plate readers, as a technology, are incredibly helpful. They can help solve crimes,” he said. “But there have to be safeguards in place, constitutional safeguards in place — no matter whether it’s Flock or Axon or Motorola or another company.”
Stepheny Price is a Writer at Fox News with a focus on West Coast and Midwest news, missing persons, national and international crime stories, homicide cases, and border security.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6404102026112
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403882686112
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403114695112