ACLU and Community Partners Come Together to Discuss Concerns About Automatic License Plate Readers

The event is free, open to the public, and aims to address the growing concerns surrounding Flock Safety’s automatic license plate reader (ALPR) technology and its impact on the privacy of Oklahomans.

Across the nation, communities are increasingly pushing back against the "shadowy" surveillance infrastructure provided by Flock Safety. These automatic license plate readers allow law enforcement to track drivers in real-time without a warrant, probable cause, or even reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. The town hall will feature a specialized presentation from ACLU National, followed by a panel discussion on Flock.

“Oklahomans have a right to know more about Oklahoma City’s use of automatic license plate readers, especially by infamous companies such as Flock, including the potential risk for local police departments to widely share their highly sensitive location data with others we neither know nor trust,” said Chad Marlow, Senior Policy Counsel for ACLU National. “All this comes at a time when our government is using ALPR data to identify and target immigrants, protestors, gun show attendees, and many others who have done nothing wrong. It is for that reason that, in just the past year, nearly 50 cities have terminated their relationships with Flock. During this upcoming town hall we will be exploring how Flock's nationwide data collection and sharing model puts our civil rights and civil liberties at risk, and as a community, how we can come together to take action to protect our privacy.”

The event is supported by a broad coalition of community partners, including Oklahomans for Privacy, Foundation for Liberating Minds, Love Thy Neighbor, and Home Base, along with prominent local advocates for government transparency, including Oklahoma City Council members Camal Pennington, JoBeth Hamon, and James Cooper. Their participation underscores the vital need for oversight and community-led resistance against warrantless surveillance.

While the event is open to all, registration is highly encouraged to ensure adequate seating. Food and refreshments will be provided.

The ACLU of Oklahoma and its partners remain dedicated to securing liberty and equity for all residents. Through this town hall, we aim to equip Oklahoma City residents with the information necessary to protect their digital and physical privacy from unchecked technological overreach.