Sean Frame | California State Senate District 6

SEAN FRAME WILL STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHT TO PRIVACY.

Sean supports legislation to restrict Flock and other automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras and protect Californians from unreasonable government surveillance.

The Fourth Amendment protects Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures. Sean believes those protections must extend to modern surveillance technology.

Flock and other ALPR cameras collect license plate information, vehicle descriptions, locations, and timestamps as people travel through their communities. When combined across multiple cameras, these records can reveal patterns of movement, including for people who have never been suspected of a crime.

Sean has raised serious concerns about how this information is collected and stored, who can access it, how it is used and shared, and whether existing security measures and oversight are sufficient to protect the public.

Sean supports legislation that restricts the use of ALPR surveillance, establishes enforceable safeguards, and holds government agencies accountable for how this information is collected, accessed, shared, and secured.

Understanding ALPR Surveillance

FIVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT ALPR CAMERAS

EVERYDAY DRIVERS ARE RECORDED.

ALPR cameras collect vehicle information as cars pass, regardless of whether the driver is suspected of a crime. These records can include a license plate number, vehicle characteristics, location, and time.

YOUR MOVEMENTS CAN BE TRACKED.

Flock and other ALPR systems can record the same vehicle at multiple cameras and connect those sightings. Searchable records allow investigators to identify where a vehicle has been observed over time and reveal patterns of movement.

YOUR INFORMATION CAN BE SHARED.

ALPR systems can allow law enforcement agencies to search information collected by other participating agencies. Data-sharing arrangements raise questions about who can access residents' information, for what purposes, and under whose authority.

ERRORS AND MISUSE HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

Incorrect license plate readings, mistaken matches, and improper searches can affect innocent people. The consequences may include unnecessary investigations or police encounters.

DATA SECURITY AND OVERSIGHT MATTER.

Who controls the information collected by these cameras? How long is it stored? Who can search it? How is it protected from unauthorized access? What happens when the system is misused?

These questions demand clear answers, meaningful safeguards, and accountability.

Senate District 6 Debate

WHERE DOES SENATOR ROGER NIELLO STAND?

During a recent Senate District 6 debate, incumbent State Senator Roger Niello described Flock cameras as:

"A valuable public safety tool."

Niello also claimed that the cameras do not track individual people or track license plates from one camera to another.

CAN FLOCK CAMERAS TRACK YOUR MOVEMENTS?

Yes. Flock and other ALPR systems can record and connect sightings of the same vehicle across multiple locations.

Each recorded sighting includes information such as a license plate number, location, and timestamp. Those records can be searched to identify where a vehicle has been observed and reconstruct patterns of movement.

Because vehicles are frequently associated with identifiable individuals, this technology can reveal information about where people travel, work, and spend their time.

The privacy implications extend beyond the cameras themselves to how the information is stored, searched, shared, and used.

Independent Research

LEARN MORE ABOUT FLOCK AND ALPR SURVEILLANCE.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has researched automated license plate readers, their capabilities, and the privacy and civil liberties concerns surrounding their use.

Explore how this technology works, how vehicle information can be used to reconstruct travel patterns, and why data retention and government access raise important questions.

ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION

Research and information on automated license plate readers, surveillance, privacy, and civil liberties.

LEARN MORE →

Senate District 6 Debate

HEAR BOTH CANDIDATES.

Watch Sean Frame and Roger Niello address the use of Flock cameras and automated license plate reader technology during the debate.

SEAN FRAME'S POSITION

Flock and other ALPR cameras violate our Fourth Amendment rights.

ROGER NIELLO'S POSITION

Flock cameras are a valuable public safety tool.