FBI Director Kash Patel defended the bureau’s use of Flock license-plate cameras Tuesday as senators raised concerns about the spread of surveillance technology in neighborhoods across the country. During an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, questioned Patel about privacy risks associated with cameras that record vehicle license plates. The devices are often installed by local governments or private companies and can help law enforcement track vehicles involved in criminal investigations. Patel said the FBI works with municipalities and companies on a case-by-case basis rather than maintaining ongoing, unrestricted access to their systems. He argued that information collected in public places generally comes from locations where people have “no reasonable expectation of privacy.” As an example, Patel pointed to the investigation into a shooter who killed two Brown University students earlier this year. He said investigators could not obtain useful facial-recognition imagery from cameras in the area, but a Flock camera captured the suspect’s license plate. That information allowed agents to identify and trace him, Patel said, ultimately helping investigators locate him in New Hampshire, where he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Patel also said the FBI has used the technology in investigations involving child exploitation and abductions, including cases in which children were taken across state lines. The hearing underscored a growing tension over automated license-plate readers: Supporters describe them as a tool for solving serious crimes, while privacy advocates and some lawmakers warn that widespread deployments could create detailed records of people’s movements without meaningful public oversight. Cornyn’s questions reflected both sides of that debate. He acknowledged the cameras’ potential to help fight crime while warning that their proliferation could amount to mass surveillance of ordinary residents. Patel did not describe specific national standards governing how long Flock data may be retained, how residents can challenge its collection or what safeguards apply when local agencies share information with federal investigators. Those questions have become more prominent as towns and private operators expand the use of automated license-plate readers beyond traditional police facilities and major highways. The testimony leaves local governments facing a familiar policy choice: whether the investigative benefits of the cameras justify the risks of collecting and sharing location data on people who are not suspected of wrongdoing.