Amid the growing public and political backlash against Flock cameras, add Gov. Ron DeSantis to the list of skeptics about their use.
The governor said Wednesday that roadside cameras that use artificial intelligence to photograph and log vehicle data are useful tools for law enforcement agencies and that the Florida Highway Patrol uses automated license plate recognition in its work.
But the governor draws the line there.
“Now, I’ve never supported the automatic tickets being sent if you’re speeding. I think a human being has to do that, and so I’ve never, I’ve never embraced that,” DeSantis told reporters during a Wednesday morning press event at Florida International University.
He added: “I’m all about having law enforcement have tools to be able to hold criminals accountable. I think that’s important that we do that. And no one’s been stronger on law enforcement than me. But I don’t want to have this become a surveillance state.”
The website DeFlock reports there are 7,169 such cameras in Florida. The state ranks 10th in the number per capita and sixth in the number per road mile, according to the site.
The governor, who will be term-limited out of office in January, reiterated that he championed an artificial intelligence “Bill of Rights” during the 2026 session. He claimed the proposal would have offered protections to residents had the Legislature agreed to pass it. He took a shot at the Republican-controlled House of Representatives for refusing to pass his bill.
The governor warned, “It’s going to get a lot worse unless we have some protections for the people in Florida.” Noting the cameras are being approved at the county and municipal levels, DeSantis said, “The only way it could be dealt with is legislatively.”
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