The FBI Wants to Buy Nationwide Access to License Plate Readers

TL;DR · AI Summary
The FBI plans to purchase nationwide access to automated license plate readers (ALPRs), which would allow the agency to track the movements of vehicles and people without a warrant.
Key Takeaways
- FBI plans to buy nationwide access to license plate readers
- Main suppliers are Flock and Motorola
- This move may raise privacy concerns
Outline
Jump quickly between sections.
Mindmap
See how the topics connect at a glance.
查看大纲文本(无障碍 / 无 JS 友好)
- FBI购买全国车牌识别系统
- 供应商
- Flock
- Motorola
- 隐私权问题
- 无搜查令追踪
Highlights
Key sentences worth saving and sharing.
The FBI wants to buy access to automated license plate readers (ALPRs) nationwide
Only a couple vendors could likely fulfill what the FBI is after, namely Flock and Motorola
track the movements of vehicles—and by extension people—across the country without a warrant
The FBI Wants to Buy Nationwide Access to License Plate Readers
Listen to the 404 Media Podcast
[](https://www.404media.co/the-fbi-wants-to-buy-nationwide-access-to-license-plate-readers/)
###### Account
###### Navigation
###### Follow us
[Twitter](https://x.com/404mediaco "Twitter")[Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/404media.co "Bluesky")[Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@404mediaco "Mastodon")[Instagram](https://instagram.com/404mediaco "Instagram")[TikTok](https://tiktok.com/@404.media "TikTok")[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/404mediaco "Facebook")[RSS](https://www.404media.co/rss "RSS")
[](https://www.404media.co/the-fbi-wants-to-buy-nationwide-access-to-license-plate-readers/ "Search")
[](https://www.404media.co/the-fbi-wants-to-buy-nationwide-access-to-license-plate-readers/ "Dark Theme")[](https://www.404media.co/the-fbi-wants-to-buy-nationwide-access-to-license-plate-readers/ "Light Theme")
[](https://www.404media.co/)
Advertisement
•

[Privacy](https://www.404media.co/tag/privacy/ "Privacy")
The FBI Wants to Buy Nationwide Access to License Plate Readers

· May 18, 2026 at 2:19 PM
Only a couple vendors could likely fulfill what the FBI is after, namely Flock and Motorola.

Photo byDavid TrinksonUnsplash
The FBI wants to buy access to automated license plate readers (ALPRs) nationwide, which would likely allow the agency to track the movements of vehicles—and by extension people—across the country without a warrant, according to FBI procurement records reviewed by 404 Media.
The documents show that ALPRs continue to be a sought-after tool for law enforcement, not just for local police and individual communities, but federal agencies too. The news also comes as protests and pushback against ALPRs have spread around the country.
💡
**Do you work at Flock or Motorola? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send me an email at joseph@404media.co.**
This post is for paid members only
Become a paid member for unlimited ad-free access to articles, bonus podcast content, and more.
Sign up for free access to this post
Free members get access to posts like this one along with an email round-up of our week's stories.
Already have an account? Sign in
###### More like this

[Researchers Wanted Preschool Teachers to Wear Cameras to Train AI](https://www.404media.co/researchers-wanted-preschool-teachers-to-wear-cameras-to-train-ai/ "Researchers Wanted Preschool Teachers to Wear Cameras to Train AI")
“With your permission, your child’s lead teacher may wear a small teacher-worn camera that captures the teacher's approximate first-person perspective, and/or we may place a fixed video camera in the classroom,” a document given to parents and later shared with 404 Media reads.

· May 18, 2026

[Mayo Clinic is Using AI to Listen to Emergency Room Visits](https://www.404media.co/mayo-clinic-is-using-ai-to-listen-to-emergency-room-visits/ "Mayo Clinic is Using AI to Listen to Emergency Room Visits")
Mayo Clinic's "Ambient Listening" has been around for a couple of years, but clearly not all patients know their interactions with nurses are being passively recorded and processed by AI.

· May 15, 2026

[FBI Extracts Suspect’s Deleted Signal Messages Saved in iPhone Notification Database](https://www.404media.co/fbi-extracts-suspects-deleted-signal-messages-saved-in-iphone-notification-database-2/ "FBI Extracts Suspect’s Deleted Signal Messages Saved in iPhone Notification Database")
The case was the first time authorities charged people for alleged “Antifa” activities after President Trump designated the umbrella term a terrorist organization.

· Apr 9, 2026

[Podcast: The Physical Politics of the Internet with Britt Paris](https://www.404media.co/podcast-the-physical-politics-of-the-internet-with-britt-paris/ "Podcast: The Physical Politics of the Internet with Britt Paris")
Britt Paris's new book 'Radical Infrastructure: Imagining the Internet from the Ground Up' tells the story of the physical internet, and how it can benefit people, not corporations.

· May 18, 2026

[Researchers Wanted Preschool Teachers to Wear Cameras to Train AI](https://www.404media.co/researchers-wanted-preschool-teachers-to-wear-cameras-to-train-ai/ "Researchers Wanted Preschool Teachers to Wear Cameras to Train AI")
“With your permission, your child’s lead teacher may wear a small teacher-worn camera that captures the teacher's approximate first-person perspective, and/or we may place a fixed video camera in the classroom,” a document given to parents and later shared with 404 Media reads.

· May 18, 2026

[Scientists Discover Strange New Crystal Formed by Nuclear Blast](https://www.404media.co/scientists-discover-strange-new-crystal-formed-by-nuclear-blast/ "Scientists Discover Strange New Crystal Formed by Nuclear Blast")
A type of crystal lattice called a clathrate structure has been found for the first time in the fallout of a nuclear detonation.

· May 16, 2026
Advertisement
•
Advertisement
•
•
Unparalleled access to hidden worlds both online and IRL.
404 Media is an independent media company founded by technology journalists Jason Koebler, Emanuel Maiberg, Samantha Cole, and Joseph Cox.
[Twitter](https://x.com/404mediaco "Twitter")[Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/404media.co "Bluesky")[Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@404mediaco "Mastodon")[Instagram](https://instagram.com/404mediaco "Instagram")[TikTok](https://tiktok.com/@404.media "TikTok")[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/404mediaco "Facebook")[RSS](https://www.404media.co/rss "RSS")
Join the newsletter to get the latest updates.
Success
Great! Check your inbox and click the link to confirm your subscription
©2026 404 Media. Published withGhost.
Join our free newsletter
404 Media is an independent, journalist-founded tech news site dedicated to bringing you unparalleled access to hidden worlds both online and IRL. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on our new investigations, articles, and podcasts.
Subscribe
Great! Check your inbox and click the link.
Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again.
Already a member? Sign in