Flock Safety operates the largest automated license plate reader (ALPR) network in the United States — and it's watching you right now.
Every time you drive past a Flock camera, it captures a high-resolution photo of your vehicle, reads your license plate, and logs the exact time, date, and GPS location. But it doesn't stop there — according to Flock's own FAQ, their cameras use machine learning to extract far more than a traditional license plate reader.
This isn't speculation — this is what Flock advertises. The data is stored for 30 days or more, shared across thousands of agencies nationwide, and can be searched by any officer with access — often without a warrant.
What a Flock camera captures every time you drive past.
Over 80,000 Flock cameras are deployed across 5,000+ cities. Your movements are tracked whether you're a suspect or not. You were never asked. You were never told.
ALPR misreads have led to families being pulled over at gunpoint, handcuffed, and detained — because the system confused their plate with someone else's. It has happened dozens of documented times.
Police officers have used Flock cameras to stalk ex-partners, track personal enemies, and monitor people with no law enforcement justification. Audit logs are rarely reviewed.
Flock data has been accessed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies, raising serious concerns for immigrant communities and sanctuary cities.
Most cities adopt Flock cameras with little to no public debate, no privacy impact assessment, and no policy governing how the data is used, shared, or retained.
Flock's newest product, NOVA, goes beyond plates — it creates a "vehicle fingerprint" that can identify your car even without reading your plate. This is where it's headed.
StopFlockSafety exists to educate and inform on the dangers of mass surveillance dragnets operated without meaningful oversight or accountability. If what you read here concerns you — good. Channel that concern into civic action: attend city council meetings, write to your representatives, file public records requests, and make your voice heard through the democratic process.
This site advocates exclusively for lawful, nonviolent civic engagement. We do not encourage or condone vandalism, threats, or violence of any kind toward law enforcement, policymakers, or property.
Year-long controversy over ICE access to Flock data; replaced by Axon
Left Flock: Feb 2026Police audit found ATF, Air Force, and GSA Inspector General accessed data without authorization
Left Flock: Feb 2026Flock installed cameras without city awareness after Council suspended the system
Left Flock: Dec 202510-camera pilot expired and was not renewed; Chief publicly rebuked Flock CEO
Left Flock: Oct 2025“People have a right to disagree... That's how Democracy works.”
— Chief Michael Kochis
Flock shared data with CBP in violation of Illinois law; city called breach 'intentional and unauthorized'
Left Flock: Aug 2025Over 30 community groups pressured city council; audit found 20%+ of searches lacked documentation
Left Flock: Jun 2025Privacy concerns and lack of independent oversight
Left Flock: Aug 2023“We believe our residents deserve to know they aren't being tracked every time they drive through our town.”
— Chief Ronald Smith
Durango City Councilor Shirley Gonzales announced a proposed 'Protect our Privacy Ordinance' requiring judicial warrants for accessing Flock ALPR data, limiting data retention to 72 hours, and creating a community oversight board. Developed with ACLU of Colorado and the Colorado Immigrants' Rights Coalition, the ordinance could become a model for local ALPR regulation.
Stanwood, which deactivated its 14 Flock cameras in May 2025 after a court ruling that ALPR data is subject to public disclosure, plans to reactivate them after Washington's new Driver Privacy Act (SB 6002) exempts ALPR data from public disclosure. The city is evaluating camera locations for compliance with the new law's restrictions on placement near schools and healthcare facilities.
Troy's $78,000 annual Flock contract automatically renewed despite the all-Democrat city council's opposition. The council president directed the city auditor to withhold payments, while the mayor declared a 'public safety emergency' to keep 26 cameras operational. The dispute highlights how Flock's auto-renewal contract terms can bypass democratic oversight.
Chesterfield County's proposed $2.3 billion budget includes $60,000 for maintaining 141 Flock cameras and over $260,000 for three new intelligence officers to interpret ALPR data. Residents and civil liberties groups are pushing back against the expansion, while prior reporting found at least five Virginia counties shared Flock data with federal immigration enforcement.
The Bluegrass Institute's CEO and the Institute for Justice's legislative counsel argue that Kentucky lacks any warrant requirement, restrictions on outside agency access, or meaningful oversight of license plate reader technology. They call on the state legislature to enact basic privacy guardrails as Louisville and Lexington expand ALPR deployments.
Governor Bob Ferguson signed SB 6002, called 'the strongest ALPR bill in the country,' into law. The Driver Privacy Act limits camera use to felonies and gross misdemeanors, mandates 21-day data deletion, bans cameras near schools and healthcare facilities, prohibits immigration enforcement use, and makes violations a gross misdemeanor. The bill passed with strong bipartisan support.