Utah Gov. Spencer Cox says he wants the state’s use of Flock cameras reviewed after a report found millions of searches of camera data came from outside the state.
Flock cameras are automated license plate readers that photograph passing vehicles and create searchable data that can be used by law enforcement.
Last week, the Utah Civic Compact, a nonpartisan advocacy group, released an analysis of records from 10 Flock cameras in Weber County. The report found that there had been over 5 million searches between February 2022 and July 2026. Almost 97% of those searches came from law enforcement outside Utah.
The advocacy group says it is not alleging those searches were illegal. Its concern is that there's no practical way to know whether thousands of outside agencies are complying with Utah's restrictions.
At a press conference Thursday, Cox said he was “deeply troubled by and shared those same concerns.”
He said Flock cameras have been an important tool for law enforcement for years, but added that they also come with privacy concerns.
While there’s no official statewide count, a crowdsourced database has logged nearly 1,000 license plate readers across Utah. And roughly 30 Utah cities, counties, and police departments used Flock cameras last year.
“There's been stories now coming from agencies across the United States," Cox said, "where law enforcement individuals have accessed those cameras for personal reasons, for reasons outside of the law enforcement chain — I think Americans should be deeply concerned about that.”
Utah law already places restrictions on how law enforcement can use license plate reader data. It limits searches to things like active criminal investigations, outstanding warrants, missing people, and stolen vehicles.
“The question is," Cox said, "is the legislation being followed?”
The governor said he’s asked Utah state privacy officials to review the rules and regulations surrounding the cameras.
“I don’t think we should say, ‘Hey, just trust us.’ I don't think that should be the response at all,” he said.
Cox added that he also supports additional legislation if the review finds current privacy protections aren’t enough.
