# Montana candidate shoots Flock camera in campaign ad

> Seth Bodnar blasts a surveillance camera stand-in to protest license-plate tracking across America.
- Title: Montana candidate shoots Flock camera in campaign ad
- Summary: Seth Bodnar blasts a surveillance camera stand-in to protest license-plate tracking across America. A Montana Senate candidate is making privacy concerns…
- Keywords: seth bodnar, montana, flock safety, license plate readers, surveillance cameras, us senate, privacy, campaign ad, flock-off act, thomas massie, eric burlison, biometric surveillance
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/montana-senate-candidate-shoots-flock-camera-campign-ad-federal-regulation-2026-9
- Author: Kelsey Vlamis
- Published: 2026-09-16T09:11:01.294+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: seth bodnar, montana, flock safety, license plate readers, surveillance cameras, us senate, privacy, campaign ad, flock-off act, thomas massie, eric burlison, biometric surveillance
## Shotgun blast at surveillance tech
Seth Bodnar, an Independent running for US Senate in Montana, shoots a Flock camera stand-in in a new campaign ad to protest automated license-plate readers.

> This isn't an issue that's about left or right. This is about individual freedom.
## Montanans reject corporate tracking
Voters told Bodnar they don't want a corporation logging every trip they take, whether to church, the doctor, the gun store, or a friend's house.
## Flock cameras spark national backlash
Critics point to misidentified plates and police misuse. A Business Insider investigation found cases where police wrongfully targeted or arrested innocent people.
## Federal regulation as a solution
Bodnar supports the bipartisan Flock-Off Act to cut federal funding for automated readers. He wants national standards for data storage, audits, and penalties for misuse.
## Closing the private camera loophole
Bodnar says police shouldn't use a retailer's camera to bypass warrant requirements. He wants rules for how private surveillance data can be accessed by law enforcement.

> We should also close the private camera loophole so police can't use a retailer's camera to do without a warrant what they shouldn't be able to do.
## Protest, not vandalism
Bodnar shot a simple decoy camera in his ad, not a real one. He says opponents should address the issue at the ballot box, not by destroying property.

> Respect private property rights. Don't touch cameras that aren't yours.
## Key takeaway

A Montana Senate candidate is making privacy concerns about automated license-plate readers a central campaign issue, calling for federal regulation.