The Texas Department of Transportation has suspended approvals for Flock automated license-plate reader cameras and similar devices installed by outside parties along Texas public roadways, the agency said Sept. 19. The action follows Gov. Greg Abbott’s August directive ordering state agencies to stop funding Flock cameras. Most Flock systems in Texas are bought by cities using federal money, meaning the state’s permit suspension may affect new installations on state-owned roads without immediately ending existing local programs. TxDOT said its role is limited to reviewing permits to ensure license-plate readers are installed safely and correctly. The agency said it cannot access data collected by the cameras, which are installed at the request of law-enforcement agencies. “Under the direction of Governor Greg Abbott, TxDOT has suspended issuing approvals for Flock cameras or similar devices installed by third parties” in public rights of way, a TxDOT spokesperson said. Flock’s system combines automated license-plate readers with video cameras and other detection tools. The technology records information about vehicles and creates searchable vehicle profiles. Participating local agencies can share data with other law-enforcement departments, creating a broad regional network intended to help investigate crimes. Privacy advocates and some elected officials have raised concerns that the same network can enable warrantless tracking, excessive data retention and improper searches. Those concerns intensified after a Deer Park detective was suspended for searching license plates more than 150 times when the searches were not connected to an investigation, according to records cited in the report. Flock introduced additional privacy measures in August, including tools intended to identify suspicious searches. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The debate has crossed party lines. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has warned that widespread automated license-plate readers could create a “digital AI surveillance state” in which people’s movements are constantly tracked. President Donald Trump, by contrast, has said he supports the technology because of its potential use in law enforcement, while acknowledging that some people view it as an infringement on privacy. Florida earlier moved to stop the use of Flock cameras on state highways, citing reports of misuse, data-privacy concerns and surveillance schemes. Texas has not announced a comparable statewide order ending existing local-camera programs.