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
Bloomington's council passed 9-0 a resolution calling for greater oversight, transparency, and a pause on Flock expansion. Councilman Rollo warned: 'We're essentially living in a society where total surveillance is the goal... That is the hallmark of a totalitarian state.'
After 50+ public comments, Richmond's council ran out of meeting time without voting. Cameras had been off since October 2025 after discovering the 'national lookup' feature was active without authorization. The contract expired, leaving cameras off by default.
Fortune's national overview of the Flock backlash, reporting on Boston PD and Massachusetts ACLU demanding changes to Flock's user agreement to restrict data sharing, pushing back against Flock's default 'worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free' license.
El Paso's council debated its approximately 150-camera Flock contract but voted 6-2 against ending it, bucking the national trend of cities canceling.
Virginia's survey of ALPR compliance found 21% of agencies kept data beyond the 21-day legal limit, 21 agencies gave continuous out-of-state access, 9 shared with federal agencies (both prohibited), 16% had no ALPR policy, and 35% hadn't notified the public. Nearly a third of agencies didn't even respond.
A Flock ALPR misread a character on a family's license plate, flagging their SUV as stolen. Both parents were handcuffed while their infant was in the vehicle. The officer blamed the error on a license plate frame. After releasing the family, officers accidentally drove away with their keys.