Brown co-signs letter objecting to FBI access to Flock data across the country
Shontel BrownU.S. representative for Ohio's 11th District and ranking member of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, in a joint letter to the FBI director
Rep. Shontel Brown and Rep. Greg Casar signed a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel about the FBI's request for proposals for license-plate-reader systems with nationwide search. The letter says a contract giving the FBI access to Flock data across the country "would subvert the clear preference of the American people" and asks for details on the FBI's current Flock and Motorola access, intended use, data storage, sharing and safeguards by October 16, 2026.
“The American people are clearly concerned about law enforcement having access to Flock data and about government surveillance more broadly. Entering into a contract that would give the nation’s largest law enforcement agency access to Flock data across the country would subvert the clear preference of the American people.”
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
Official statement
About this source
Press release from Rep. Greg Casar's office, dated October 2, 2026, announcing a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel about the FBI's request for proposals for license-plate-reader systems. The letter, linked on the page, is signed by Casar and Rep. Shontel Brown, and the release quotes it.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The letter says the FBI issued a request for proposals in May 2026 to acquire license-plate-reader systems that can search for plate information and other descriptive data, and that vendors including Flock and Motorola Solutions likely have the capabilities to meet it.
After the quotation
The letter asks Patel for a list of the Flock and Motorola features the FBI can already use, its intended use and legal justification, its data storage and sharing plans, and the safeguards it would apply, no later than October 16, 2026.
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. Brown co-signed a letter objecting to a contract that would give the FBI nationwide access to Flock data and asking the bureau to describe its safeguards, which restricts federal access rather than ending the systems, so we labeled it Mixed or conditional and placed it at Limit on the remedy ladder. The closest competing label is Condemned, which would fit a call to end the networks; the letter targets federal access and Flock's safeguards.
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- Brown co-signs letter objecting to FBI access to Flock data across the country
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The Dispute Index. "Brown co-signs letter objecting to FBI access to Flock data across the country". First published: 2026-10-07. Last updated: 2026-10-07. https://disputeindex.com/events/5030-rep-shontel-brown-and-rep-greg-casar-signed