Alan Wilson says South Carolina "should look at potential legislation that will put guardrails in place" for Flock cameras
Alan WilsonSouth Carolina attorney general and Republican candidate for governor, at a televised debate
At the October 6, 2026 South Carolina governor's debate, Alan Wilson said he had written to Flock demanding answers on its data collection, privacy and retention standards. He said the state should look at legislation that puts guardrails on the license plate reader technology and possibly prosecutes people who abuse it, but that law enforcement should be able to use the technology to find a kidnapped child or catch someone who has killed a relative.
“we should look at potential legislation that will put guardrails in place ... we want to give them the opportunity to use that technology”
Original video
Reporting
Other statements by Alan Wilson in this case
Every statement by Alan Wilson
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 video
About this source
Live 5 News stream of the October 6 televised debate between Alan Wilson and Jermaine Johnson, candidates for governor of South Carolina. After Johnson's answer, Wilson answers the Fox Carolina question on Flock cameras, describing his letter to the company and calling for legislation with guardrails while keeping the technology available to law enforcement.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
FITSNews reports the October 6 South Carolina governor's debate. It quotes Jermaine Johnson calling for a ban on Flock cameras and Alan Wilson saying the state should look at legislation with guardrails while keeping the technology available to law enforcement when a child is kidnapped or a relative is murdered.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
At the October 6 televised debate, the moderator asked Wilson for his policy on Flock cameras in South Carolina. Wilson began by saying he had sent the company a letter the week before demanding answers on its data collection, data privacy and data retention standards.
After the quotation
Jermaine Johnson, his Democratic opponent, had answered first and said he would ban Flock cameras in South Carolina.
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. Wilson supports keeping the technology available to law enforcement while considering legislation for guardrails and prosecution of abuse, so we labeled it Mixed or conditional with the Guardrails, keep using step. He names no specific rule such as a warrant requirement or a retention limit.
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More from this case
Read the full caseJacob Burnett says Flock-style cameras should be done away with, with warrants required if they stay
“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.”Read statement
Dean Brewer, an independent candidate for Tennessee governor, says Flock cameras should be banned
“I believe flock cameras should be banned.”Read statement
Buddy Carter says license plate cameras help investigators but need privacy safeguards
“Technologies like license plate recognition cameras can provide valuable investigative tools, but they have also raised important questions about privacy and government oversight. As these systems become more common, it is important to balance public safety with appropriate safeguards that protect individual privacy.”Read statement
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- Alan Wilson says South Carolina "should look at potential legislation that will put guardrails in place" for Flock cameras
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The Dispute Index. "Alan Wilson says South Carolina "should look at potential legislation that will put guardrails in place" for Flock cameras". First published: 2026-10-15. Last updated: 2026-10-15. https://disputeindex.com/events/5740-at-the-october-6-2026-south-carolina-governor