They’ve been popping up along roads, intersections, and businesses for the last few years — but now, many people are pushing back against automated license plate readers, raising concerns about privacy and data collection.
Cameras by a company called Flock have been in the spotlight lately, but there are many other companies, too, that sell other types of automated license plate readers. A large apartment community in west Alexandria is about to start use automated cameras in its parking garage.
“The mayor has come out and spoken against Flock cameras and said they don’t have a place in our community, yet we are experiencing them directly in our home,” said resident Brittnee Sellers.
They aren’t Flock cameras, but they are automated license plate readers powered by AI from a company called Metropolis. Sellers and Cassandra McGraw said the property management at Park and Ford, which has 435 units, has installed the Metropolis cameras to manage parking in the community’s garage.
The previous scanners were glitching and causing issues for people trying to get in and out, they explained, but they worry Metropolis’ capabilities go too far.
“We actually don’t want convenience at the cost of our privacy, safety and wellness,” McGraw said. “And so we responded, and we have about 109 residents who have said, ‘No, we don’t want this company as a part of our parking system.’”
Metropolis said its cameras and software are capable of tracking basic identifying information, vehicle info, biometric and behavioral data.
News4 reviewed an email sent by Park and Ford property management to a resident that explained residents can opt out of sharing certain information with Metropolis.
In a statement to News4, a Metropolis spokesperson said, in part, “Our platform is completely opt-in and we do not sell data. We are not collecting biometric data at this location, nor do we use our technology for surveillance ever. We collect only what is necessary to complete the parking transaction.”
“So I think we’re in a culture of decisions being made on behalf of communities,” McGraw said. “I think it’s really important that we pause and take a little bit more time to discuss it together so we’re all on the same page.”
Some state lawmakers have told News4 they intend to introduce legislation early next year that would ban all automated license plate readers in Virginia – even those used by private companies – though it’s unclear if there would be some exceptions carved out for certain types of cameras.
“But at the end of the day, it really boils down to surveillance, data collection and our privacy,” Sellers said. “We just wanna go home and park.”
The neighbors News4 spoke with say the property management at the Park and Ford community is trying to solve a legitimate problem for residents — they just hope the community reconsiders the tech it’s choosing.
News4 reached out to the company that manages the Park and Ford community and hasn’t heard back.
