{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-in-senate-judiciary-subcommittee-hearing-on-flock-cameras-we-have-got-to-find-a-way-to-balance-privacy-and-security", "Durbin in Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing On Flock Cameras: \u201cWe Have Got To Find A Way To Balance Privacy And Security\u201d", "2026-09-23", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "IL", "Richard J. Durbin", "D000563", "www.durbin.senate.gov", "durbin", "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "In his opening statement in today\u2019s Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism hearing, Durbin spoke about the need to adopt guardrails on Automated License Plate Reader technology to protect Americans\u2019 right to privacy\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement in today\u2019s Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism hearing entitled \u201cAlways Watching: Flock\u2019s Nationwide AI Surveillance Network.\u201d In his opening remarks, Durbin spoke about the importance of protecting Americans\u2019 right to privacy and underscored the need for meaningful oversight and accountability measures over Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) that have been unjustly used for federal immigration enforcement, to share information across state lines, or to stalk Americans.\n\nDurbin also referenced the story of a witness in today\u2019s hearing, Lindsey Isaacs, who was wrongfully arrested and spent 13 days in jail on eight felony charges for a crime she did not commit. She was jailed after a Flock camera misidentified her car, yet it took seven months for the case against Ms. Isaacs to be thrown out.\n\nKey Quotes:\n\n\u201cFor the Flock CEO, obviously they are nervous about being on camera, but I wish they would have joined us today. It would be interesting to hear their explanation.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe collection of information and data is what it\u2019s all about these days\u2026 Hard to imagine, but that [personal] information is being sold and collected constantly.\u201d\n\n\u201cI support law enforcement\u2026 We trust them with keeping us safe in our homes and in our businesses. We also value privacy.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe also know that as we look at the information being gathered, this is nothing new. The volume of the undertaking is not new. The state of Illinois has had an ALPR, an Automated License Plate Reader, as part of their state effort to catch people on the tollway who don\u2019t pay their fair share. It\u2019s been around for a long time. It\u2019s been used to locate people that have gone missing, cars connected to crimes, and stolen vehicles.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt all sounds good, and then you hear the story of Ms. Isaacs\u2026When the so-called failsafe technology fails, and it certainly did in her case.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe have got to find a way to balance, in America, privacy and security. I think there is a balance. Congress needs to lead the way.\u201d\n\nVideo of Durbin\u2019s opening statement is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin\u2019s opening statement is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin\u2019s opening statement is available herefor TV Stations.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-09-24T09:44:48Z", "2026-09-24T09:45:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-in-senate-judiciary-subcommittee-hearing-on-flock-cameras-we-have-got-to-find-a-way-to-balance-privacy-and-security"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5124820638448, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}