Jacob Burnett says not a dime should be spent on Flock and other license plate cameras
Jacob BurnettCandidate for governor of Idaho, in a post on his campaign Facebook page
Jacob Burnett, a candidate for governor of Idaho, wrote on his campaign Facebook page that no money should be spent on Flock and other automated license plate reader cameras, which he called an unjust and easily abused weapon against people's rights.
“It is under these principles I feel not a single dime should be spent on what is an unjust and easily abused weapon against the people's rights.”
Original post
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
Burnett's post on his campaign Facebook page, Jacob Burnett 4 Idaho, says Idaho has begun using Flock and other automated license plate reader cameras, which he describes as predictive crime analytics. It cites a Colorado driver he says was repeatedly stopped after a database error and a Tennessee woman he says was jailed after a faulty facial recognition match, says no money should be spent on the cameras, and links a map of camera locations. Burnett pointed Dispute Index to the post in an October 30, 2026 email.
Before the quotation
In the post, Burnett compared predictive policing to the film Minority Report and said Idaho had begun using Flock and other license plate reader cameras to watch the public. He cited a Colorado driver he said was repeatedly pulled over because of a database error and a Tennessee woman he said was jailed after a faulty facial recognition match, and invoked Benjamin Franklin and Patrick Henry on liberty and security.
After the quotation
The post ends with a link to a map of camera locations, which he said people should have the option to use so they know where the cameras are.
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. Burnett says not a single dime should be spent on the cameras and calls them an unjust and easily abused weapon against people's rights, so we labeled it Condemned. On the remedy ladder this is Defund, since he calls for spending nothing on them.
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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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- Jacob Burnett says not a dime should be spent on Flock and other license plate cameras
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/7255-jacob-burnett-a-candidate-for-governor-of-idaho
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The Dispute Index. "Jacob Burnett says not a dime should be spent on Flock and other license plate cameras". First published: 2026-10-30. Last updated: 2026-10-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/7255-jacob-burnett-a-candidate-for-governor-of-idaho