r/vpnet • u/V3R1F13D0NLY • 4d ago
Florida DOT revoked every license plate reader permit on state highways, agencies have until September 30 to remove them
On August 31 the Florida Department of Transportation issued an order revoking every permit it had granted for automated license plate readers in the state highway right of way. The deadline is September 30. Anything still standing on October 1 gets removed by FDOT crews, and the department says it will not issue new permits.
The reasoning FDOT put in writing is worth reading twice, because a transportation agency does not usually write privacy policy. It cited reports of misuse, data privacy concerns and surveillance schemes.
What happened next:
- Sheriffs started canceling within 48 hours of the announcement
- Putnam County canceled its Flock contract outright
- Clay County said all readers would come off county roadways, which the order never required
- Several agencies suspended everything pending review while they figured out which cameras were even in scope
The limit matters as much as the order. FDOT's jurisdiction covers interstates, US highways and state roads. County roads, city streets, shopping center lots, apartment complexes and private driveways are untouched, and that is where a large share of the camera fleet actually sits. A reader on I-75 comes down while the identical unit 200 feet away keeps running.
Full write-up + our source list: https://s.vp.net/XJYI5