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Florida Bans License Plate Readers Over Privacy Fears

FDOT said 30-day removals are required after citing rapid growth, misuse reports and privacy concerns over automated license plate readers.

  • On August 31, FDOT Chief Operating Officer Will Watts signed a memo revoking all automated license plate reader permits on state highway rights-of-way, mandating local agencies remove devices within 30 days or face state removal.
  • Governor Ron DeSantis accelerated the crackdown after labeling the technology "out of control" and warning of a "digital AI surveillance state," citing exponential deployment growth and reports of misuse.
  • Sheriffs in Putnam, Duval, and Pasco counties announced immediate removals following the directive, with several choosing to dismantle entire local programs to restore community trust.
  • DeSantis is now pushing the Florida Legislature to pass an "AI Bill of Rights" during the upcoming session, aiming to establish permanent criminal penalties for data misuse and regulate surveillance.
  • Texas Governor Greg Abbott similarly halted state funding for the technology last week, signaling a broader bipartisan pivot against unregulated mass surveillance across the United States.
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Several police agencies in North Florida announced that they will comply with the order of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to remove automated license plate recognition cameras, known as ALPR, from state roads. The decision comes after FDOT revoked the permits that allowed security agencies to use [...] The entry Northern Florida police agencies react to the order to remove ALPR cameras from the roads was first published in HolaN…

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Reason broke the news in Los Angeles, United States on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
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