Journalists used open records requests to reveal the full scope of license plate reader networks. Now the states running those networks want to exempt themselves from public records laws entirely. The Transparency Using Freedom of Information Act requests and open records laws, journalists and researchers mapped: Flock Safety deployments in 5,000+ communities ICE data sharing agreements with local police departments ShadowDragon monitoring contracts across multiple agencies DeFlock mapped thousands of cameras globally using open-source methods The transparency worked. The public learned what was being built. Documents obtained through FOIA requests revealed the scope of license plate reader data broker marketplaces operating with almost no legal constraint. The Reaction In response, multiple states introduced legislation to: Exempt ALPR data from public records requests Classify surveillance camera locations as law enforcement sensitive Prohibit disclosure of data sharing agreements with federal agencies Create criminal penalties for publishing surveillance infrastructure maps At least nine states introduced bills in 2025-2026 that would carve out ALPR data from sunshine laws. Some proposals go further, making it a misdemeanor to publish the location of surveillance cameras -- effectively criminalizing the same journalism that revealed these systems to the public. Why It Matters The Flock Safety network and its competitors collect billions of plate reads annually. Without open records access, there is no way to verify how data is shared, who has access, or whether retention policies are followed. The entire oversight model depends on the public's right to know. The Precedent If surveillance infrastructure is exempt from public audit, there is no oversight. The agencies building these systems are self-regulating -- and their incentive is to expand, not constrain. The ALPR open records crackdown follows a familiar pattern: surveillance expands in secret, gets exposed by journalists, and then the secrecy gets codified into law. Transparency is not a threat to public safety. Secrecy about surveillance is.