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Residents urge Carbondale to revisit contracts with Flock-style license-plate readers over privacy concerns
Summary
Speakers at the Sept. 9 Carbondale City Council meeting asked council members to place the city’s contracts with AI-enabled license-plate-reader vendors on a future agenda, saying the private ownership and sale of data by companies such as Flock Safety and Raycor Systems poses privacy and safety risks.
Several residents urged the Carbondale City Council Sept. 9 to reconsider the city's use of AI-enabled license-plate reader systems operated under contracts with private vendors.
Victor Ludwig, who identified himself as a non-resident who nonetheless spends significant time in Carbondale, asked the council to schedule further discussion on the “continued use of advanced license plate readers.” He named Flock Safety and Raycor Systems as examples of companies that sell or lease AI-enabled camera systems that read license plates, link cameras to track vehicles across cameras and — he said — retain ownership of the data collected.
“These private entities who own the cameras own also the data gathered by municipally operated cameras,” Ludwig said. “These private entities are entitled to sell and do frequently sell this data to third parties.” He cited instances where data from Flock cameras in one state reportedly was used by law enforcement in another state and said Illinois authorities have opened inquiries into Flock Safety.
Ludwig argued the technology allows continuous vehicle tracking without a warrant in ways that traditional police trackers would require a warrant to accomplish. He asked the council to “expeditiously terminate its contracts with Flock Safety and Raycor Systems to protect the privacy and human rights of everyone in our city,” and suggested the council could later consider banning similar AI-enabled systems within city limits.
JC South, who said they are a Carbondale resident and a published researcher in artificial intelligence, echoed concerns about data collection by organizations outside local control and the downstream risks for people seeking medical care who travel into Carbondale from states with more restrictive laws.
No council action or staff response to the requests was recorded in the provided transcript; Ludwig asked that the matter be placed on a future agenda for detailed discussion.
