Stutzman Introduces Don't Spy on Me Act to Block Federal Flock Camera Databases

Summary

In this brief October 8, 2026 interview on his own YouTube channel, Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) discusses his recently introduced Don't Spy on Me Act (H.R. 10609). He describes Flock Safety's automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras visible along roadsides that feed data into databases, arguing the federal government should not have warrantless access. The host and Stutzman express concern over a "surveillance state" and the need for constitutional guardrails beyond simple license plate reading. The segment promotes the bill as preventing federal creation or maintenance of "vehicle fingerprinting" databases.

Sourcing relies on Stutzman's own statements and the bill text, with no independent experts, graphics, or opposing views presented. The throughline is Fourth Amendment protection against aggregated location tracking without proper procedures.

Editorial Assessment

The claims hold up well on the existence and scale of Flock's network (over 120,000 cameras, scanning billions of plates monthly) and the bill's specific prohibitions, which directly target linking plates to movements or identifiers. Recent judicial developments, including a federal judge ruling a Flock query as "indiscriminate mass surveillance" requiring a warrant, lend credence to the privacy concerns raised. Viewers may miss that Flock emphasizes local agency ownership and opt-in sharing with federal entities (disabled by default), that many courts have upheld ALPR use without warrants as no reasonable expectation of privacy exists on public roads, and that the technology aids in solving crimes like stolen vehicles or Amber Alerts. The framing leans heavily toward viewing any aggregation as inherently abusive, potentially skewing perception away from calibrated law-enforcement tools with documented safeguards and misuse incidents on both sides.