Four of the largest companies in automated license plate recognition were invited to explain their technology to the Senate. None of their chief executives came. The hearing went ahead anyway, and the that emerged was of a Congress still catching up to a surveillance system that has quietly spread across the country.
The Senate Judiciary‘s crime and counterterrorism subcommittee convened Wednesday, September 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C., to examine Flock and the broader category of automated license plate readers, or ALPRs. Flock’s CEO declined to appear, as did the top executives of Axon, Motorola Solutions, and Verkada. The room was packed, with a standby line stretching down the hallway, according to The Verge senior policy reporter Lauren Feiner.
An Empty Witness Table for Industry
Subcommittee chair Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, made clear that the absence of the executives did not sit well with him. He said Flock stands out among industry players, and that he wants to hear from the companies’ leaders directly rather than through intermediaries.
Hawley also acknowledged how new the issue is for him personally. He said he first heard of Flock only one or two months before the hearing, and that lawmakers are still getting up to speed on what the technology does and how it is used.
Of the four companies whose CEOs were invited, only Verkada offered a public response. Company spokesperson Virginia Ramsey said Verkada provided information to the subcommittee to assist its preparation, even though its CEO did not appear. Ramsey said no national Verkada network exists and that customers can access only data from their own systems. The other invited companies did not respond to The Verge.
What Witnesses Told Senators
In place of the executives, the subcommittee heard from cybersecurity and legal experts, a sheriff whose department ended its Flock contract, and a Florida woman whose life was upended by a Flock misidentification.
The Florida woman told the panel she was jailed for 13 days after Flock cameras incorrectly identified her. The sheriff testified about what he described as slippery answers from the company regarding its use of artificial intelligence.
Benn Jordan, a cybersecurity engineer, described gaining access to Flock data with minimal technical maneuvering about a year before the hearing. Flock has said it addressed that incident. Jordan said Flock’s security has improved since then, but that broader problems persist across the industry.
Bipartisan Unease About Data Collection
Lawmakers from both parties voiced unease about how ALPRs gather and retain information. The concerns centered on location data collected on people who have not been accused of any crime, on how long that data is stored — often up to a month — and on the security of the images Flock keeps.
Senators also said officer access to Flock data appears easy, and that Flock differs from traditional license plate readers because it builds a connected dossier rather than simply capturing a passing plate.
The hearing reflected how the debate over Flock has escalated from concerns inside police departments to city councils, state capitols, and now Congress.
Immigration, Reproductive Care, and Gun Owners
Sens. Alex Padilla of California and Dick Durbin of Illinois asked how federal immigration authorities could be barred from accessing Flock data. A witness said a sympathetic local officer could search on an agency’s behalf, effectively circumventing such a restriction.
Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey raised the prospect of the system being used to track people seeking reproductive care across state lines.
Hawley said similar concerns apply to gun owners. He noted that cameras could be placed near gun shows, gun stores, ranges, and pregnancy care centers, and said Second Amendment supporters have long feared the creation of a national database.
Hawley: A Longtime Reader State, a New Kind of Technology
Hawley said Missouri has used license plate readers for a long time, but he drew a distinction between traditional readers and the current technology. He said citizens know when they are being tracked and do not want it, and that law-abiding citizens should not be treated like criminals.
He also said Flock likely knows of citizens even if citizens do not know Flock.
Hawley said he has not discussed subpoenaing the CEOs with Senate Judiciary Committee chair Chuck Grassley of Iowa. Any subpoena would require a full committee vote.
Trump's Position and the Political Clock
President Donald Trump recently said he likes the cameras. Hawley said he has not asked Trump whether the president would support legislation to restrain them.
The hearing took place less than two months before midterm Election Day, putting the issue squarely in a political season.
What Comes Next
The path forward is unclear. Hawley has said he wants to hear from the CEOs directly, but no subpoena has been discussed with Grassley, and the full committee would need to vote before one could be issued.
For now, the hearing left several questions unanswered: how far Congress is willing to go in regulating ALPRs, whether the companies will voluntarily appear, and whether the bipartisan concern voiced in the room will translate into legislation before voters head to the polls.
