Wisconsin lawmaker to hold hearing on Flock license-plate cameras amid privacy concerns

# What happened

State Rep. Calvin Callahan, R-Tomahawk, who previously sponsored a bill that would have funded Flock Safety camera grants, announced he will call a hearing on surveillance cameras and their use in Wisconsin. The hearing will take place in front of the Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection, which Callahan chairs, when the Legislature reconvenes in January.

Callahan said Flock cameras were marketed as a targeted public-safety tool but "have rapidly evolved into something far more invasive and sometimes out of control," citing reports of misuse, mistaken stops, and access to data that he believes should concern every Wisconsinite.

# Why this matters in Wisconsin

Several Wisconsin law enforcement agencies have discontinued use of Flock cameras and removed them after learning about the company's data practices. The central concerns are:

• Data retention: Flock retains camera data for five years, longer than some agencies expected.
• Commercialization: Flock sells collected data to third parties as a product labeled "Traffic Analytics."
• Mismatch of expectations: Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said the department had understood there would be a 30-day retention period for data used only for public safety and crime solving. Schmaling called the longer retention and sale of data inconsistent with that understanding and said the sheriff's office will not participate in a system that appears to use public safety as justification for mass surveillance.

# What lawmakers want

Callahan stated he trusts law enforcement officers but not a surveillance system "without adequate checks and accountability." He listed concrete changes he expects before allowing these cameras to operate in the state: warrants and judicial oversight, strict limits on data retention, and real accountability. He said, "If these cameras cannot operate with warrants, judicial oversight, strict limits on data retention and real accountability, then they have no business operating in Wisconsin."

# Context beyond Wisconsin

The issue is drawing attention nationally. Flock cameras face scrutiny over privacy and database access by law enforcement. Bipartisan hearings at the federal level and lawsuits being prepared in Wisconsin — including work by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty on a Flock camera lawsuit in Waukesha County and other locations — indicate this is part of broader legal and policy debates.

Flock reported spending $102,000 on lobbying in Wisconsin for the grant bill that ultimately failed. That spending is part of more than $1 million the company has spent on lobbying across states.

Committee hearing will likely examine:

• How local agencies negotiated data-retention and usage terms with Flock.
• The scope and sale of the Traffic Analytics product and who has access to the data.
• Possible statutory limits on the use of automated license-plate readers, including warrant requirements and retention caps.

Callahan has framed the hearing as putting the surveillance system "under the microscope."

# Immediate implications for residents

Residents should expect continued removals of Flock cameras by agencies that disagree with the company's retention or commercialization practices. The upcoming hearing could produce legislative proposals or recommendations that change how automated license-plate readers are authorized and regulated in Wisconsin.