Overview
- The FBI issued a request for proposals to buy access to automated license plate reader data that would let agents search vehicle sightings across the U.S. in near real time.
- The plan splits the country into six regions and allows one or two vendors per region, with a combined budget cap of about $36 million and a contract term of up to five years.
- The bureau wants a cloud platform where users can query full or partial plate numbers, vehicle make and model, dates, and locations, receive hit notifications, view coverage heat maps, and see the source of each scan.
- Industry reporting points to Flock Safety and Motorola Solutions as likely bidders, with records showing prior pilot access for federal units and Flock saying federal sharing is opt-in and controlled by local camera owners.
- Privacy advocates warn the system could enable broad tracking of people’s movements, while state laws in places like California and Virginia limit data sharing; initial reports said the FBI did not comment.