FLOCK SAFETY, ALPRs & MASS SURVEILLANCE
Your movements should not become a searchable government database.
Across the United States, automated license plate readers are recording vehicles traveling through public spaces.
Flock Safety is one of the largest companies providing this technology to police departments, government agencies, businesses, and neighborhoods.
These systems can help investigate crimes, recover stolen vehicles, and locate missing people.
They also create records of where vehicles have been seen—raising serious questions about privacy, government power, data sharing, public oversight, and how much surveillance Americans should accept as normal infrastructure.
Protect the Collective opposes the expansion of mass, warrantless location surveillance and supports meaningful public oversight, strong privacy protections, transparency, and community control over surveillance decisions.
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WHAT IS FLOCK SAFETY?
Flock Safety is an Atlanta-based technology company providing automated license plate readers, cameras, drones, and other public-safety technology.
Automated license plate readers—often called ALPRs—can capture information associated with passing vehicles, including license plates, vehicle characteristics, timestamps, and the location of the camera.
Authorized users can search collected information for investigative purposes.
A single camera observing a vehicle is very different from a large network of cameras capable of recording where vehicles appear across different locations and times.
That distinction is at the center of the debate.
The question isn't simply whether technology can help solve crimes.
The question is whether governments should routinely collect searchable location information involving millions of people who are not suspected of committing a crime.
Learn more
ACLU — Get the Flock Out: ALPR Surveillance
Flock Safety — Official Website
Flock Safety — Privacy & Trust
WHY ARE PEOPLE CONCERNED?
1. Your movements can become searchable data.
One photograph of a license plate may reveal very little.
Repeated observations across a network can reveal much more.
Depending on the size of the network, retention period, search capabilities, and access rules, vehicle-location information can potentially reveal patterns involving where someone lives, works, shops, worships, receives healthcare, spends time, or participates in political and community activities.
The privacy concern comes from aggregation.
Small pieces of information can become significantly more revealing when collected and searched together.
2. Surveillance doesn't only affect people suspected of crimes.
ALPR cameras generally scan vehicles passing through their field of view rather than only vehicles belonging to people under investigation.
That means information involving ordinary residents can enter the same system used for law-enforcement searches.
This changes an important question:
Instead of asking whether police should be allowed to follow a particular suspect, communities must consider whether everyone's movements should routinely generate searchable records in case that information becomes useful later.
3. Information can be shared beyond the community that collected it.
Flock systems can allow agencies to share access with other authorized agencies.
The scope of that sharing can depend on agency policies, agreements, system settings, and applicable law.
That makes transparency extremely important.
Residents should be able to ask:
Who can search our community's data?
Which outside agencies have access?
Why can they search it?
Are searches audited?
Can access be revoked?
How long is information retained?
4. Surveillance powers can be misused.
Any system containing sensitive information creates the possibility of inappropriate access or misuse.
Audit logs, access controls, disciplinary policies, and judicial oversight can reduce these risks.
But safeguards should not be assumed simply because technology exists.
Communities should require evidence that protections actually exist and are enforced.
5. Surveillance can change behavior.
Surveillance does not have to result in someone's arrest to affect civil liberties.
People who believe their movements may later be searched could become more hesitant to attend protests, political meetings, religious gatherings, medical facilities, or other sensitive locations.
Researchers and civil-liberties organizations often describe this as a chilling effect.
The possibility of surveillance can influence behavior even when nobody is actively investigating you.
WHAT DOES FLOCK SAY?
Understanding this issue also means understanding the company's position.
Flock argues that its technology helps law enforcement:
investigate crimes;
recover stolen vehicles;
locate missing or endangered people;
generate investigative leads; and
respond more efficiently to public-safety incidents.
The company states that its ALPR technology does not use facial recognition and describes privacy, auditing, retention, and access safeguards for its systems.
Flock has also announced additional privacy protections as scrutiny of ALPR networks has increased.
Those claims should be considered alongside independent research, public contracts, audit information, agency policies, and documented cases involving the technology.
Read Flock's position directly
Flock Safety — Official Website
Flock Safety — Privacy & Trust
Compare with independent analysis
ACLU — Flock & ALPR Surveillance
Electronic Frontier Foundation — Surveillance
THE BIGGER QUESTION
What happens when surveillance becomes ordinary infrastructure?
Flock is only one part of a much larger conversation.
License plate readers, facial recognition, drones, public cameras, cellphone-location information, artificial intelligence, and large databases are rapidly increasing the government's ability to observe and analyze activity.
No single camera creates a surveillance state.
The concern is what happens when many technologies become interconnected, inexpensive, permanent, and searchable.
WHAT IS A SURVEILLANCE STATE?
A surveillance state is generally understood as a society in which government institutions possess extensive capabilities to monitor people's activities, communications, associations, or movements.
The United States is not one uniform surveillance system. Laws, technologies, policies, and oversight vary considerably among jurisdictions.
But democratic societies still have to decide where boundaries should exist before surveillance infrastructure becomes difficult to reverse.
WHY THIS MATTERS
PRIVACY
Privacy isn't simply about hiding wrongdoing.
Privacy gives people space to develop relationships, beliefs, political ideas, medical decisions, and personal identities without constant observation.
FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION
People should be able to peacefully associate with political organizations, religious communities, advocacy groups, unions, journalists, and other lawful organizations without unnecessary government monitoring.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
People may behave differently when they believe authorities are watching.
A healthy democracy requires people to feel safe criticizing institutions and participating peacefully in political life.
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
Surveillance capabilities can expand much faster than laws governing them.
Technology that begins with a narrow purpose may later become available for additional uses.
Rules established before expansion are much stronger than promises made afterward.
DATA SECURITY
Large databases containing sensitive information create valuable targets.
Privacy protections therefore involve more than government intentions.
They also involve cybersecurity, unauthorized access, employee misuse, data breaches, vendor access, and future changes in policy.
UNEQUAL IMPACT
Surveillance does not necessarily affect every community equally.
Existing differences in policing, immigration enforcement, neighborhood surveillance, poverty, political power, and access to legal representation can influence who experiences surveillance most heavily.
FIND FLOCK & ALPR SURVEILLANCE NEAR YOU
Don't guess. Investigate.
There is currently no single public database guaranteed to contain every Flock camera operating in the United States.
Several tools can help you investigate.
🔎 ATLAS OF SURVEILLANCE
The Electronic Frontier Foundation's Atlas of Surveillance tracks documented surveillance technologies used by law-enforcement agencies across the United States.
Search by location, agency, technology, or vendor.
SEARCH HERE:
Important: Absence from the database does not prove surveillance technology isn't being used. Coverage can be incomplete or outdated.
🔎 HAVE I BEEN FLOCKED?
Have I Been Flocked is an independent project researching Flock Safety networks using public records and other available information.
It can be useful for understanding deployments, data sharing, transparency portals, and public-record investigations.
EXPLORE HERE:
🔎 CHECK THE GOVERNMENT RECORD
The most important source is often your own government.
Search:
"[YOUR CITY] Flock Safety"
"[YOUR CITY] license plate readers"
"[YOUR CITY] ALPR contract"
"[YOUR COUNTY] Flock Safety"
Then check:
City Council agendas
County Commission agendas
Police Department policies
purchasing records
contracts
meeting minutes
budgets
public-record databases
surveillance policies
renewal dates
Independent maps are a starting point. Government records are how you verify what is actually happening.
10 QUESTIONS EVERY COMMUNITY SHOULD ASK
Before a surveillance contract is approved or renewed, residents deserve answers.
1.
How many ALPR cameras are currently operating?
2.
Where are they generally deployed and which agency controls them?
3.
How much has the system cost taxpayers?
Include installation, subscriptions, maintenance, upgrades, and renewals.
4.
How long is vehicle information retained?
5.
Which outside agencies can search the information?
6.
What justification must an officer provide before conducting a search?
7.
Are searches independently audited?
8.
What uses are explicitly prohibited?
9.
How is effectiveness measured?
Residents should be able to compare documented public-safety benefits with financial costs and civil-liberties risks.
10.
When can the community reconsider or terminate the system?
Contracts should not quietly become permanent surveillance infrastructure.
GET THE RECORDS YOURSELF
Public records are one of the strongest tools residents have.
You can ask government agencies for records involving surveillance technology.
Useful requests may include:
Flock contracts
contract amendments
invoices
purchase orders
retention policies
ALPR policies
data-sharing agreements
authorized-agency lists
audit policies
aggregate search statistics
misuse investigations
renewal dates
council presentations
procurement records
Avoid requesting private motorists' individual location histories.
Georgia residents
Georgia Attorney General — How to Make an Open Records Request
Ohio residents
Ohio Attorney General — Public Records
Learn how to investigate Flock locally
ACLU — How to Fight Deployment of Flock and Other Mass-Surveillance License Plate Readers
TAKE ACTION
You don't have to break the law to challenge surveillance.
In fact, some of the most effective actions happen through boring-looking things:
contracts.
budgets.
public meetings.
records requests.
ordinances.
votes.
That's where surveillance systems are approved—and where communities can challenge them.
HAVE 5 MINUTES?
Find out whether your community uses ALPRs.
Search the Atlas of Surveillance
Then search your city government's website for:
Flock Safety
ALPR
Automated License Plate Reader
License Plate Recognition
HAVE 15 MINUTES?
Contact your representatives.
Ask:
Does our community currently use Flock Safety or another automated license plate reader system?
If yes:
How many cameras are operating?
When does the contract expire?
Which agencies have access to the data?
Will you support a public review before expansion or renewal?
USA.gov — Find Your Elected Officials
HAVE 30 MINUTES?
Find the contract.
Search your city or county meeting records.
Look for:
Flock Safety
ALPR
surveillance
public safety technology
police technology
license plate reader
Then identify:
WHO APPROVED IT
HOW MUCH IT COSTS
WHEN IT EXPIRES
WHEN THE NEXT VOTE OCCURS
HAVE ONE HOUR?
Attend a public meeting.
City councils, county commissions, police oversight boards, and other local bodies often provide opportunities for public comment.
Ask specific questions.
Request answers on the public record.
Bring copies of contracts or policies you've found.
Invite other residents.
One informed resident asking a precise question can create a public record that didn't exist before.
USA.gov — Find Your Local Government
HAVE TWO HOURS?
Organize a community information night.
Bring residents together to discuss:
what ALPRs collect;
where they are being used;
who controls the information;
what the contract says;
documented benefits;
documented risks;
existing safeguards;
missing safeguards; and
what your community wants to do next.
Invite people with different perspectives.
Invite civil-liberties organizations.
Invite public officials.
Invite law enforcement.
Ask difficult questions.
Keep the conversation peaceful and evidence-based.
LEGALLY PROTEST FLOCK & MASS SURVEILLANCE
Visibility matters.
Peaceful protest is protected by the First Amendment, although governments may impose lawful restrictions concerning time, place, manner, permits, traffic, and public safety.
Possible actions include:
PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS
Organize outside an appropriate government building or other lawful public forum.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Bring coordinated residents to City Council or County Commission meetings.
SIGN-MAKING EVENTS
Create educational signs and materials together.
COMMUNITY TEACH-INS
Host an event explaining how surveillance technology works.
PETITIONS
Collect signatures around a specific policy demand.
FLYERING
Distribute sourced educational information where legally permitted.
LETTER-WRITING EVENTS
Bring neighbors together to contact representatives simultaneously.
PUBLIC RECORDS DAYS
Have volunteers investigate contracts, policies, and spending together.
PRIVACY TOWN HALLS
Invite experts, officials, journalists, and residents to publicly discuss surveillance.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS BEFORE PROTESTING
Rules can differ depending on whether you're demonstrating on a sidewalk, in a park, inside a government building, on a roadway, or on private property.
Check local requirements before organizing.
ACLU — Know Your Rights: Protesters' Rights
WHAT NOT TO DO
Protect the Collective supports lawful, nonviolent civic action.
Do not:
damage cameras;
cover or disable cameras;
interfere with electrical or communications equipment;
trespass to access equipment;
obstruct roadways without authorization;
threaten employees or officials;
harass individual workers;
publish private home addresses;
attempt unauthorized access to surveillance systems; or
encourage others to commit crimes.
Damaging one camera does little to change the system.
Changing the policy can change every camera.
WHAT SHOULD WE DEMAND?
A successful campaign needs a specific demand.
Depending on local law and circumstances, communities can consider advocating for:
PAUSE NEW DEPLOYMENTS
No additional cameras until residents understand the technology and its implications.
PUBLIC APPROVAL
Major surveillance technologies should require transparent approval by elected representatives.
WARRANT PROTECTIONS
Historical location searches should receive strong legal safeguards, including judicial authorization where appropriate, with carefully defined emergency exceptions.
STRICT PURPOSE LIMITS
Surveillance should not be used to monitor lawful:
political activity;
protests;
religious activity;
journalism;
association; or
constitutionally protected expression.
MINIMUM DATA RETENTION
Information should not be retained longer than necessary for a clearly defined purpose.
LIMIT DATA SHARING
Communities should know which outside agencies can access locally collected information.
INDEPENDENT AUDITS
Access logs and searches should be subject to meaningful oversight.
PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY REPORTS
Residents should be able to see aggregate information about:
searches;
outside-agency access;
misuse;
retention;
costs; and
demonstrated outcomes.
REAL CONSEQUENCES FOR MISUSE
Privacy rules mean little without enforcement.
CONTRACT TERMINATION OR NONRENEWAL
Where officials determine that a system cannot meet community standards, governments can examine lawful options for ending or declining to renew contracts.
A BETTER QUESTION THAN:
"If you aren't doing anything wrong, why do you care?"
Ask:
"What surveillance powers should any government have over people who are doing nothing wrong?"
Rights are not designed only for moments when institutions are trustworthy.
They establish boundaries that remain in place when leadership, political conditions, technology, or public opinion changes.
BUILD A LOCAL FLOCK CAMPAIGN
Protect the Collective chapters can investigate surveillance locally.
Every campaign should answer:
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
What technology is being used?
WHERE?
Which jurisdiction and agency?
WHO DECIDES?
Which officials control the contract or policy?
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Find the contract.
WHAT INFORMATION IS COLLECTED?
Read the policy.
WHO CAN ACCESS IT?
Investigate sharing agreements.
WHEN IS THE NEXT DECISION?
Find the renewal, budget, or council vote.
WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY WANT?
Develop specific demands.
WHAT CAN RESIDENTS DO?
Provide actual meetings, contacts, records, petitions, and lawful actions.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Track votes and outcomes publicly.
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RESEARCH IT YOURSELF
Don't take our word for it.
We want people to read original sources, independent research, government records, and Flock's own statements.
FIND SURVEILLANCE
CIVIL LIBERTIES & RESEARCH
ACLU — How to Fight Flock in Your Community
Electronic Frontier Foundation — Surveillance
ACLU — You Are Being Tracked: License Plate Reader Report
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
USA.gov — Find Elected Officials
USA.gov — Find Local Government
PUBLIC RECORDS
Georgia Attorney General — Open Records Requests
Ohio Attorney General — Public Records
READ THE COMPANY'S POSITION
Flock Safety — Official Website
Flock Safety — Privacy & Trust
OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCURACY
Surveillance technology, contracts, policies, and laws change quickly.
Protect the Collective distinguishes between:
DOCUMENTED FACTS
COMPANY CLAIMS
GOVERNMENT CLAIMS
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH
COMMUNITY CONCERNS
We encourage residents to verify local information through government records before publishing allegations or camera-location claims.
We will correct inaccurate information when reliable evidence becomes available.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND CIVIL LIBERTIES DO NOT HAVE TO BE ENEMIES.
Communities deserve effective public safety.
They also deserve privacy, transparency, due process, freedom of association, and meaningful control over the technologies governments use to monitor them.
The answer should not be blind trust in technology.
And it should not be blind fear of technology.
It should be evidence, boundaries, transparency, accountability, and democratic control.
READ THE RECORD.
ASK THE QUESTIONS.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS.
SHOW UP.
PROTECT THE COLLECTIVE.
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