Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) – U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett has introduced federal legislation that would prohibit federal agencies from purchasing, accessing or using automated surveillance systems designed to identify, track or record people.
The Knoxville Republican filed the Protection Against Mass Surveillance Act, which was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for consideration.
The proposal would block federal funding and access to several types of surveillance technology, including automated license plate recognition systems such as Flock Safety cameras, facial recognition systems and other forms of biometric tracking technology.
Under the bill, prohibited systems would include technologies that use fingerprints, iris scans, retinal scans, voice recognition, gait analysis and other biological characteristics to identify individuals. The legislation would also restrict technologies that capture, analyze or retain a person’s image or other personally identifiable information for persistent or mass surveillance purposes.
The measure arrives as Flock camera systems have become the center of an ongoing debate in Knox County.
Flock cameras are designed to photograph vehicles and automatically read license plates in public spaces. Law enforcement agencies use the cameras to search for stolen vehicles, track suspects and investigate crimes. Supporters say the technology has helped solve criminal cases and improve public safety.
However, privacy advocates and some elected officials have expressed concerns about how the data is collected, stored and accessed.
The issue gained additional attention locally after the Knox County Sheriff’s Office announced plans to roll out more than 200 Flock cameras across the county. Some county commissioners said they were caught off guard by the scope of the proposal and called for greater transparency regarding how the system would operate.
Earlier this week, Knox County officials canceled a planned meeting that would have focused on discussing the sheriff’s office camera rollout.
Questions about the technology have also surfaced following reports of alleged misuse by officers in other states. An investigation by a sister television station in Atlanta detailed accusations that some officers improperly accessed Flock camera data, fueling concerns about oversight and accountability.
Burchett’s bill goes beyond restricting future surveillance purchases. The legislation would require federal agencies that obtain surveillance data to delete it within 30 days. It also states that information collected through prohibited systems could not be admitted as evidence in court proceedings or administrative hearings.
The proposal faces a lengthy legislative process before becoming law, beginning with review by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
For now, the debate over balancing public safety and personal privacy continues both in Washington and here in East Tennessee as questions remain about the future use of Flock cameras and other surveillance technologies.
