Senator Hassan Presses Flock CEO to Make Public How It Operates and Collects Data in New Hampshire

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) is pressing Flock to provide transparency and information regarding its operations and how Flock cameras capture and store photos, recordings, and other data related to Granite Staters. In a letter to Flock CEO Garrett Langley, Hassan requests that his company provide a full and complete list of how they store information on Granite Staters and their vehicles that may be captured by Flock cameras. Hassan notes in her request to Langley that New Hampshire has strong protections in place to prevent the long-term collection of Granite Staters' license plate numbers and other identifiable information, and requests that Flock comply with these laws.

In 2016 when she served as Governor, Senator Hassan signed a law restricting the use of license plate readers, like Flock cameras, in New Hampshire to specific purposes and requiring data that did not match specific law enforcement criteria and subsequently led to an arrest, a citation, protective custody, or an identification related to a missing or wanted person, be automatically and irretrievably deleted within three minutes.

"Privacy is critically important to Granite Staters, and New Hampshire law has strong protections to prevent the bulk, indefinite collection of people's travel and other identifiable information. However, based upon public reporting and Flock's own statements, it appears that Flock's system of license plate readers and associated databases undermine the privacy rights of Granite Staters," Senator Hassan wrote.

The Senator continued, "New Hampshire law ensures that Granite Staters' information that is captured by license plate readers cannot be stored for more than three minutes, unless specific law enforcement related criteria are met. Specifically, New Hampshire law requires that: automated license plate readers can only be used by law enforcement. [...] Flock cameras can be utilized by non-law enforcement groups. For example, your company advertises your license plate readers to neighborhood watch programs, stating that homeowners' associations 'can legally deploy LPR cameras when proper signage, policies, and access controls are in place.' Furthermore, your company explicitly states that your "customers own the data, decide who can access it, and choose who they share it with." Flock also makes clear that, by default, license plate reader data collected by Flock is retained for seven days, unless applicable law requires otherwise."

Given the significant privacy concerns presented by Flock cameras as well as possible conflicts with New Hampshire law, Hassan requests that the company provide her office and the public with information about Flock's operations and practices in the Granite State, and how their operations elsewhere may affect Granite Staters. Specifically, Hassan requests that Flock provide information regarding where Flock operates in New Hampshire, if it complies with New Hampshire law regarding the storage of license plate data, who has access to the data collected by Flock cameras, where outside of the state Flock cameras have collected New Hampshire license plates, and if Granite Staters were the subject of an unlawful or improper search on any database owned, maintained, or operated by Flock.

Read the full text of Senator Hassan's request to Flock here or below.

Dear Mr. Langley:

I am writing to request information regarding the storage of, and access to, photos, recordings, and other data related to New Hampshire residents within Flock databases. Privacy is critically important to Granite Staters, and New Hampshire law has strong protections to prevent the bulk, indefinite collection of people's travel and other identifiable information. However, based upon public reporting and Flock's own statements, it appears that Flock's system of license plate readers and associated databases undermine the privacy rights of Granite Staters. Accordingly, I request that you provide a full and complete accounting of how your system records, stores, and allows access to information related to New Hampshire residents and their vehicles.

In 2016, as Governor, I signed into law a statutory regime for license plate readers that protects Granite Staters' privacy rights while also allowing for reasonable law enforcement actions to protect public safety. New Hampshire law ensures that Granite Staters' information that is captured by license plate readers cannot be stored for more than three minutes, unless specific law enforcement related criteria are met. Specifically, New Hampshire law requires that: automated license plate readers can only be used by law enforcement; license plate readers can only be used to scan, detect, and identify license plate numbers for specific law enforcement identification purposes, such as identifying stolen vehicles, vehicles associated with missing persons, vehicles registered to individuals with active warrants, vehicles associated with homicides, etc.; and records of license plates read by license plate readers must be destroyed within three minutes of their capture, unless those license plates are identified as matches to certain law enforcement criteria and subsequent specific law enforcement actions are taken as a result of this match (such as an arrest).

Based upon public reporting and Flock's own statements, it appears that Flock operates a network of more than 120,000 cameras, in more than 6,000 communities across 49 states, through which 20 billion license plate scans occur each month. It also appears that Flock cameras can be utilized by non-law enforcement groups. For example, your company advertises your license plate readers to neighborhood watch programs, stating that homeowners' associations "can legally deploy LPR cameras when proper signage, policies, and access controls are in place." Furthermore, your company explicitly states that your "customers own the data, decide who can access it, and choose who they share it with." Flock also makes clear that, by default, license plate reader data collected by Flock is retained for seven days, unless applicable law requires otherwise. Accordingly, it stands to reason that Granite Staters who drive past Flock cameras located outside of New Hampshire will generally have their license plate information stored for much longer than the three-minute limit that protects privacy rights in New Hampshire.

Given the vast surveillance network your company has created, and the strong privacy protections enshrined in New Hampshire law, I request that you provide information regarding storage of and access to New Hampshire residents' information on Flock databases. Specifically, I request that you respond no later than November 5, 2026, to the following questions:

1. Does Flock operate cameras within New Hampshire? If so, please provide the following information:

a. What communities are these cameras located in?

b. How long is license plate and vehicle data that is captured by Flock cameras in these New Hampshire communities stored?

c. Who has access to this data?

d. Is every Flock camera and associated database in New Hampshire in full compliance with New Hampshire law?

1. Please list the states and jurisdictions outside of New Hampshire in which Flock cameras have captured information, images, or video of vehicles that bear New Hampshire license plates.

a. For each of these states and jurisdictions, how long is information and data related to New Hampshire license plates and New Hampshire registered vehicles stored on any database operated by Flock, Flock subsidiaries, or by Flock customers?

b. For each of these states and jurisdictions, please specify who has access to the databases mentioned above, and who specifically has access to information and data related to New Hampshire license plates and New Hampshire registered vehicles.

c. For each of these states and jurisdictions, what specific policies and safeguards are in place to limit improper access to information related to New Hampshire license plates and New Hampshire registered vehicles?

3. Are you aware of any data related to New Hampshire license plates, New Hampshire registered vehicles, or New Hampshire residents that was the subject of an unlawful or improper search on any database owned, maintained, or operated by Flock?

4. Given that New Hampshire law protects the privacy rights of New Hampshire residents and requires that license plate information captured by license plate readers in New Hampshire generally be deleted within three minutes, does Flock extend these privacy protections to images, video, and data of New Hampshire license plates that are recorded by Flock cameras outside of New Hampshire? Please note that this question is in regard to Flock policies, not legal requirements.

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