Delia Ramirez says Flock's promised reforms "are not enough" and Congress must stop the surveillance state
Delia RamirezU.S. representative for Illinois's 3rd district, in a post on X
Responding to a Washington Post report that Flock would require stricter oversight after officers misused its cameras to spy on former partners, Rep. Delia Ramirez said "reforms are not enough," called mass surveillance technology a threat to democracy, civil liberties and privacy, and said Congress must stop the ever-expanding surveillance state.
“But we know that reforms are not enough. Private tech companies have amassed record-breaking profits off our pain and the use of technology for mass surveillance is a threat to our democracy, civil liberties, and privacy. Congress must stop the ever-expanding surveillance state.”
Original post
Official statement
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.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Post by Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) on August 14, 2026, quoting a Washington Post post from August 13 that said Flock, the most prominent seller of automated license plate readers, would require stricter oversight after a Post investigation found dozens of officers had misused its cameras to spy on former partners and romantic interests.
Official statement
About this source
Press release from Rep. Delia Ramirez's office announcing the Reimagining Safety Act, which would create a Department of Community Safety, dismantle the Department of Homeland Security and abolish ICE and CBP. Among the bill's listed aims is to limit government surveillance and rein in unlawful abuses of data. The release does not name license plate readers or Flock.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Ramirez quoted a Washington Post post saying that Flock, the country's most prominent seller of automated license plate readers, would require stricter oversight after a Post investigation found dozens of officers had misused its cameras to spy on former partners and romantic interests. She opened, "The power of the people is stronger than the weapons they would yield against us."
After the quotation
On September 23, 2026, Ramirez announced the Reimagining Safety Act, which her office says would, among other aims, "Limit government surveillance, rein in unlawful abuses of data, and curb militarized enforcement."
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether networked license-plate reader systems such as Flock should exist and be used. Responding to Flock's promised oversight changes, Ramirez says reforms are not enough and calls mass surveillance technology a threat to civil liberties, which rejects the systems' use, so we labeled it Condemned. The remedy she has put forward is her Reimagining Safety Act, which her office says would limit government surveillance and rein in unlawful abuses of data, so the tracker step is Limit retention and use.
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Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Delia Ramirez says Flock's promised reforms "are not enough" and Congress must stop the surveillance state
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/4199-responding-to-a-washington-post-report-that-flock
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Delia Ramirez says Flock's promised reforms "are not enough" and Congress must stop the surveillance state". First published: 2026-10-01. Last updated: 2026-10-01. https://disputeindex.com/events/4199-responding-to-a-washington-post-report-that-flock