Flock has over 120,000 cameras across the country, which many believe are a form of constant surveillance that infringes on residents' civil liberties. Some have even turned to sabotaging the cameras. Flock and other automated license plate reader cameras are placed on streets and highways and use AI to capture and store information like car license plates, car make and other features.
There are now reports that police officers have been investigated over allegations they misused license plate reader data for personal reasons. Three Arizona cities said this week that they're looking into officers' use of the cameras, including one instance in which an officer is suspected of using them to track down his wife. In Reynoldsburg, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, two officers resigned last week amid an investigation into misuse. An internal investigation revealed that one officer had used the tech over 40 times to track down a former domestic partner, per local reporting.
Now, mistrust and upheaval is leading communities nationwide to abandon Flock. In Lago Vista, a community near Austin that went for President Trump by a 20-point margin in 2024, city council members unanimously voted last week to end its contract. Denver cut off Flock in February after intense backlash. It's now contracting with Axon to operate its automatic license plate reader system, but with new rules around data retention and sharing info with federal authorities. Austin, TX also ended its contract with Flock in June 2025.DeFlock, a national organization that tracks and advocates against Flock cameras, posted on X: "No guardrails. No regulations. It's a 4th amendment violation. Full Stop. They are coming down." DeFlock also tracks when governments end or reject contracts or deactivate cameras, tallying 23 instances since July.
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