Johnson would limit or ban Flock cameras until restrictions exist

Ron JohnsonU.S. senator from Wisconsin

Mixed or conditional

Senator Ron Johnson said he supports limiting or banning Flock cameras until restrictions are placed on how data is gathered and used.

“until appropriate restrictions are placed on data gathering and usage, I support limiting or banning their use.”

Reporting

Open source (opens in a new tab)Wisconsin's U.S. senators raise bipartisan privacy concerns over Flock camera useBaldwin interview quotes; Johnson statement in the final paragraphs

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Other statements by Ron Johnson in this case

Every statement by Ron Johnson
A close view of a green Flock Safety automated license-plate reader mounted beside a street.
Credit: Bruxton

Where this statement fits

Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?

Networked automated license-plate readers record passing vehicles and let agencies search or share travel records across locations. Candidates and officials disagree over whether to prohibit these networks, keep them with legal limits, or defend their use for investigations. This tracker records attributable positions on that choice, including proposals that would affect only public funding or data access.

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Source and context

Reporting

Wisconsin's U.S. senators raise bipartisan privacy concerns over Flock camera use (opens in a new tab)Baldwin interview quotes; Johnson statement in the final paragraphs

About this source

TMJ4 report on how Wisconsin's two U.S. senators view Flock license-plate cameras. It quotes Baldwin from an interview and Johnson from a written statement.

Archived copy (opens in a new tab)

Before the quotation

Johnson said in a written statement that Flock cameras could play an important role in law enforcement but that it is hard to defend their use.

After the quotation

He cited concerns about what information is gathered and how it is used.

How this statement is classified

Mixed or conditional

The label describes this statement's response within the context above.

Why this label?

Johnson says the cameras could help law enforcement but calls their use hard to defend without restrictions. He backs limits or a ban as a stopgap, so the milder step is recorded.

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More from this case

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Jacob Burnett says Flock-style cameras should be done away with, with warrants required if they stay

Jacob Burnett

“The systems themselves can be modified to prevent nearly all abuse and be made more secure by requiring warrants for access or follow through on any data the systems collect and have all data stored on the hardware itself preventing viewing from remote locations, requiring strict login credentials and a connecting warrant number to access. These are common sense changes that if the systems are to be used I feel could correct a lot of abuse or privacy concerns but I also feel the systems should be done away with overall, especially in the realm of predictive crime analytics.”
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The Dispute Index
Title
Johnson would limit or ban Flock cameras until restrictions exist
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Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.

The Dispute Index. "Johnson would limit or ban Flock cameras until restrictions exist". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3506-senator-ron-johnson-said-he-supports-limiting-or