Get ready, America — if you’re on the road, you’re likely being watched.
No, it’s not just speed traps or red light cameras. What I mean are Flock Safety cameras, which are smart devices that run on solar and artificial intelligence. They’re popping up on utility poles in neighborhoods, near schools, grocery stores, and along major highways.
The Institute for Justice has recently launched a federal lawsuit against Flock, claiming the company is compiling detailed travel histories of people without any warrants.
These cameras do more than simply collect license plate information. They create a digital profile of your vehicle—everything from its make and model to its color, any dents, bumper stickers, roof racks, and temporary tags—and track your movements, noting where you go, when you go there, and who you’re with.
And guess who has non-stop access to this information? Local police, homeowners associations, apartment complexes, and private businesses—all without needing a warrant, and often without your knowledge.
More concerning than you realize
I’ve been sounding the alarm for years about government overreach, from cashless tolls to black box data recorders. But really, how vulnerable are we as a society? This feels like an entirely new level.
Flock, established in Atlanta in 2017, has ballooned into a $3.5 billion surveillance entity, boasting over 900 employees and an aim to blanket the nation with cameras. By 2024, they anticipate having installed between 40,000 to 60,000 units across more than 5,000 communities in 42 states. This isn’t just a trial run; it’s turning into a nationwide tracking network.
Here’s how it functions and why it’s alarming for anyone who values freedom.
Observational equipment
The Falcon and Sparrow models are not designed to enforce traffic laws. They strictly monitor.
Mounted on utility poles, traffic lights, and even private property, these devices utilize Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) and Vehicle Fingerprint™ technology to capture high-resolution images of vehicles. This includes details like the license plate’s state, number, condition, expiration, and unique identifiers like make, model, year, color, and even dings or stickers. They operate around the clock with thermal imaging, documenting time, date, and GPS coordinates—capable of capturing images from 160 mph and 75 feet away.
Data is quickly uploaded to Flock’s cloud storage via mobile networks where it remains for 30 days and can be accessed by authorized personnel through a dedicated web portal. This extends across state lines due to the TALON investigative platform. When you drive from Georgia to New York, every Flock camera you pass logs your route, and most states do not require a warrant for this.
A stunning scale
The extent of this system is impressive. Milwaukee is home to 219 cameras, with plans for 100 more. Riverside County, California, scans 27.5 million vehicles each month using 309 cameras. Norfolk, VA, has over 170 units, while Raleigh, North Carolina, is expanding its 25 installations.
Flock claims that nationwide, they log over a billion vehicle scans every month. Each camera costs about $2,500 a year, operates on solar energy, and can be set up in just a few hours. They are in high demand by HOAs, schools, and law enforcement, with new installations happening almost daily, often without much public notice.
Flock’s CEO, Garrett Langley, frequently touts the crime deterrence capabilities of his product, but what’s not mentioned is that surveillance continues whether or not you have a criminal background.
No way out
Unfortunately, there isn’t a genuine option for the public to opt out. Every passing vehicle is still going to be scanned and recorded. Some areas and institutions do utilize Flock’s service, using a ‘safe list’ feature to prevent familiar plates from being marked as suspicious. But this doesn’t stop the recordings; it just tells the system not to raise red flags for certain vehicles.
Beyond just license plates, the cameras can also capture car interiors, passengers, and bumper stickers, depending on the angle. It’s worth noting that the system doesn’t gather facial recognition data.
A privacy disaster
This is a serious privacy issue. Organizations like the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation refer to it as mass surveillance. A police officer in a small town could easily track where you’ve been all over the country.
Unfortunately, there have been instances where ALPR systems have been misused for harassment or stalking.
A ruling in 2024 in Norfolk, Virginia, initially declared Flock’s surveillance to constitute a Fourth Amendment search requiring a warrant, but this was overturned on appeal. Meanwhile, the Institute for Justice has filed a federal lawsuit against Flock for constructing in-depth, warrantless profiles of civilian movements. If they win, it could fundamentally change the game.
Yes, tracking a missing child or a stolen vehicle is important. But at what cost? This raises a chilling effect. Would you think twice about going to a protest, a religious service, or even a doctor’s appointment knowing you were being logged? That’s not safety; that’s control.
Taking action
So, what can be done now? To start, you might want to find out where these cameras are located. Contact your local police, city council, or HOA to inquire about Flock’s presence in your area.
Encourage transparency: call for public hearings, warrant requirements, protocols for data deletion, and restrictions on information sharing. Support organizations that fight such encroachments on privacy, like the ACLU and the EFF. If you want to spot a camera, look for a black pole with a tilted solar panel and a small camera attachment.
It’s time to voice your concerns publicly, reach out to your representatives, and attend community meetings. It’s essential to push back against invasive monitoring.
Flock’s CEO may envision a future where every city is equipped with surveillance cameras, but freedom shouldn’t come with an asterisk next to it, nor should it mean being tracked.
Feel free to share your thoughts below. I look at all comments. Let your fellow drivers know what’s happening. If we don’t act now, our ability to find privacy could soon vanish.
