Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden announced Friday that he has made a deal with AI-license-plate reader company Flock to limit other state’s access to Oregon’s data.
Eugene and Springfield’s Police Departments quietly deployed more than 80 Flock cameras earlier this year. Other cities and counties, as well as private companies in Oregon, are exploring or are already using the cameras.
Since Eugene and Springfield’s cameras officially launched last month, many community members raised concerns about warrantless surveillance and the potential for the federal government, or other states, to use the cameras to pursue immigrants, transgender people or people seeking abortions. The ACLU has also raised concerns about the technology’s potential uses.
Police say the cameras can be a valuable tool to apprehend suspected criminals. Eugene Police touted the system’s help in tracking down two out-of-state felony suspects this week, and have previously credited the cameras with locating three people wanted in a double homicide case.
The cameras, developed by private company Flock, can make digital fingerprints of cars by capturing model, color and unique characteristics like bumper stickers or damage.
Both police departments previously told KLCC that they’re following Oregon sanctuary laws - which ban cooperation with immigration enforcement. Wyden says Oregon doesn’t have a statewide policy ensuring Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other police departments can’t misuse data obtained by the cameras.
In his statement, Wyden said he reached out to Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and state police, which told him Oregon didn’t have a statewide policy for license plate reader access. Wyden said the agreement he made with Flock will ban other departments from making any searches related to abortion, or immigration.
He said he also found out that other states had requested, and received stronger privacy protections when they asked.
“Oregonians should never be driving in fear that automatic license plate reader cameras installed by police departments could be abused by anti-abortion forces in other states, or by Donald Trump’s authoritarian deployment of immigration agents,” Wyden said. “When I learned that Flock had adopted stronger privacy protections for other states, I demanded that Oregonians get the same protections too. I’ll keep watchdogging this company’s commitment to make sure it’s carried out throughout our state.”
In a statement shared by Wyden’s office, Rayfield said the agreement is a meaningful step.
“This change helps ensure that data collected here can’t be used to target people for things that are legal in Oregon, like accessing reproductive health care or simply living here without fear,” Rayfield said. “As we continue looking at how to strengthen Oregon’s own data privacy laws, this gives us a stronger foundation to build on.”
Out of state police departments will still be able to search license plate data that Oregon police have shared for other, legitimate law enforcement reasons. The new parameters will not impact searches between police departments in Oregon.
