Flock Camera Surveillance Raises Privacy Questions

There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to Flock cameras. According to the “Have you ever been in a crowd?” site, these systems have a feature that allows drivers to check if their license plate has been scanned by law enforcement’s Flock cameras. It’s an interesting concept, really.

If your license plate shows up in their database, it means that not only was the plate photographed, but also that a Flock system user, perhaps a law enforcement officer, has searched for it in their database through the Flock app or website.

The site explains that the audit log will detail the reason behind law enforcement’s interest in a particular license plate. However, there’s some limitation here; the database doesn’t track when or if your vehicle has actually passed any Flock cameras. So, while it’s informative, it’s not comprehensive.

It’s worth noting that just because a license plate is logged doesn’t mean the owner is under investigation; the individuals searching the Flock database aren’t always officers. That’s a little reassuring, I suppose.

The audit logs come from public records requests made to over 6,500 law enforcement agencies across the country. However, it’s important to keep in mind that this information might not be entirely up-to-date or complete. “The dataset is incomplete,” the site warns, emphasizing that not all agencies have easy access to these logs, and what is accessible is often redacted.

In the world of Flock, it’s reported that they run a private for-profit entity managing over 120,000 cameras, powered by AI, that record vehicle data in public areas, sharing that information with police and local governments.

Supporters argue that these cameras are invaluable for law enforcement. But there’s growing opposition as folks express concerns about privacy. For example, just over the July 4th weekend, some Long Island resident took matters into their own hands, vandalizing Flock cameras—pouring paint on two, unplugging them, and even running over one. Talk about extreme! And another incident in California involved a vigilante who drove into three Flock cameras. It’s clear that not everyone is on board with these surveillance systems.