Flock License Plate Readers: Difference between revisions

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~~{{Stub}}~~

{{ProductCargo

|Company=Flock Safety

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==Taxpayer impact summary==

====Freedom====

Residents and taxpayers have no mechanism to opt out of Flock's surveillance network. The cameras operate 24/7 in public spaces, recording all passing vehicles regardless of consent. Unlike traditional security cameras that may be avoided by choosing different routes, Flock's expanding network of over 40,000 cameras makes avoidance increasingly difficult.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deflock.me/|title=Find Nearby ALPRs|work=DeFlock|access-date=2025-08-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250728224453/https://deflock.me/|archive-date=2025-07-28|url-status=live}}</ref> The system uses AI to create ''"Vehicle Fingerprints"'' that identify vehicles by characteristics beyond license plates, including make, model, color, window stickers, and roof racks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/surveillance-company-flock-now-using-ai-to-report-us-to-police-if-it-thinks-our-movement-patterns-are-suspicious|title=Surveillance Company Flock Now Using AI to Report Us to Police if it Thinks Our Movement Patterns Are "Suspicious"|work=American Civil Liberties Union|date=2024|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>

Residents and taxpayers have no mechanism to opt out of Flock's surveillance network. The cameras operate 24/7 in public spaces, recording all passing vehicles regardless of consent. Unlike traditional security cameras that may be avoided by choosing different routes, Flock's expanding network of over 40,000 cameras makes avoidance increasingly difficult.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deflock.me/|title=Find Nearby ALPRs|work=DeFlock|access-date=2025-08-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250728224453/https://deflock.me/|archive-date=2025-07-28|url-status=live}}</ref> The system uses AI to create ''"Vehicle Fingerprints"'' that identify vehicles by characteristics beyond license plates, including make, model, color, aftermarket parts, window stickers, and roof racks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/surveillance-company-flock-now-using-ai-to-report-us-to-police-if-it-thinks-our-movement-patterns-are-suspicious|title=Surveillance Company Flock Now Using AI to Report Us to Police if it Thinks Our Movement Patterns Are "Suspicious"|work=American Civil Liberties Union|date=2024|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>

====Privacy====

While Flock Safety claims their system doesn't violate Fourth Amendment rights because ''"license plates are not personal information,"''<ref name="Flock-PE">{{Cite web|url=https://www.flocksafety.com/privacy-ethics|title=Privacy & Ethics|work=Flock Safety|access-date=2025-08-23|archive-url=https://archive.ph/OP55p|archive-date=2025-08-23|url-status=live}}</ref> federal courts have challenged this interpretation. In February 2024, a federal judge ruled that Norfolk, Virginia's use of 172 Flock cameras ~~likely violates the Fourth Amendment~~, finding the system creates a ''"detailed chronicle of a person's physical presence compiled every day."''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ij.org/press-release/judge-rules-lawsuit-challenging-norfolks-use-of-flock-cameras-can-proceed/|title=Judge Rules Lawsuit Challenging Norfolk's Use of Flock Cameras Can Proceed|work=Institute for Justice|date=2024-02-01|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>

While Flock Safety claims their system doesn't violate Fourth Amendment rights because ''"license plates are not personal information,"''<ref name="Flock-PE">{{Cite web|url=https://www.flocksafety.com/privacy-ethics|title=Privacy & Ethics|work=Flock Safety|access-date=2025-08-23|archive-url=https://archive.ph/OP55p|archive-date=2025-08-23|url-status=live}}</ref> federal courts have challenged this interpretation. In February 2024, a federal judge ruled that a lawsuit challenging Norfolk, Virginia's use of 172 Flock cameras could proceed, finding that plaintiffs had plausibly alleged the system creates a ''"detailed chronicle of a person's physical presence compiled every day."''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ij.org/press-release/judge-rules-lawsuit-challenging-norfolks-use-of-flock-cameras-can-proceed/|title=Judge Rules Lawsuit Challenging Norfolk's Use of Flock Cameras Can Proceed|work=Institute for Justice|date=2024-02-01|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>

Data collected includes location history that can reveal sensitive information about medical visits, religious attendance, political activities, and personal associations. While Flock states data is deleted after 30 days, contracts grant them ''"perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license"'' to use anonymized data indefinitely.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flocksafety.com/terms-and-conditions|title=Terms and Conditions|work=Flock Safety|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref> The system shares data across a network of over 4,800 law enforcement agencies nationally.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.404media.co/lawsuit-argues-warrantless-use-of-flock-surveillance-cameras-is-unconstitutional/|title=Lawsuit Argues Warrantless Use of Flock Surveillance Cameras Is Unconstitutional|work=404 Media|date=2024|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>

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====Market control====

Flock Safety has rapidly expanded to become a dominant force in automated license plate recognition, operating in 49 states with over 40,000 cameras deployed. The company's network effect creates pressure for additional jurisdictions to join, as law enforcement effectiveness depends on network coverage. Several states have begun restricting access following privacy violations, with California, Illinois, and New York limiting data sharing after immigration and abortion-related tracking incidents.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.michaelrcronin.com/post/flock-blocks-ice-from-license-plate-reader-access-in-several-states|title='Flock' Blocks ICE from License Plate Reader Access in Several States|work=Yes You Can Go|date=2025|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>

===Premise of a "license plate camera"===

=====Vehicle Fingerprint technology=====

These are often referred to as license plate cameras, which creates a fundamental misunderstanding of the product's capabilities.

While marketed as "License Plate Readers," Flock's cameras use what the company calls "''Vehicle Fingerprint"'' technology that tracks vehicles using characteristics beyond just license plates. According to Flock's own marketing materials, the system can identify vehicles even when license plates cannot be captured, advertised as turning ''"images into actionable evidence — no plate required."''<ref>{{Cite web |title=LPR Cameras |url=https://www.flocksafety.com/products/lpr-cameras |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=Flock Safety}}</ref>

[[File:No plate, still works.png|alt=Taken from Flock's marketing materials on their website. Their cameras are advertised as not needing a license plate to work due to vehicle fingerprinting technology; demonstrating that this is far more than just a "license plate camera" |thumb|Taken from Flock's marketing materials on their website. Their cameras are advertised as not needing a license plate to work due to vehicle fingerprinting technology; demonstrating that this is far more than just a "license plate camera" <ref>{{Cite web |title=LPR Cameras |url=https://www.flocksafety.com/products/license-plate-readers}}</ref>]]

The system catalogs vehicles based on numerous distinguishing features including make, model, color, bumper stickers, dents, damage patterns, roof racks, aftermarket modifications such as wheels or spoilers, window stickers, and even mismatching paint colors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harwell |first=Drew |date=2021-10-22 |title=Flock license plate readers spark controversy in Golden, Colo. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/22/crime-suburbs-license-plate-readers/ |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Flock Safety ALPR |url=https://www.campbellca.gov/1260/Flock-Safety-ALPR |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=City of Campbell}}</ref> Flock claims this capability is ''"unique among ALPR systems"'' & allows law enforcement to search for vehicles based on these characteristics even without a visible license plate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flock Safety |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flock_Safety |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=Wikipedia}}</ref>

This technology changes the nature of the surveillance from license plate reading to comprehensive vehicle tracking. A person could still be tracked by the unique combination of their vehicle's physical characteristics. The Electronic Frontier Foundation warns that these ''"vehicle fingerprints"'' could flag vehicles based on political bumper stickers, revealing ''"information on the political or social views of the driver,"'' or economic indicators like rust or damage, potentially "endangering anyone who might not feel the need (or have the income required) to keep their car in perfect shape."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-14 |title=Things to Know Before Your Neighborhood Installs an Automated License Plate Reader |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/09/flock-license-plate-reader-homeowners-association-safe-problems |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=Electronic Frontier Foundation}}</ref>

Privacy advocates note that this expanded tracking capability makes the term ''"license plate reader"'' misleading, as Flock systems create detailed vehicle profiles that persist even without readable plates. It turns any distinguishing feature of a vehicle into a tracking identifier.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stop Flock |url=https://www.stopflock.com/ |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=Stop Flock}}</ref>

==Incidents==

===Law enforcement stalking incidents (2022-2025)===

===False positive incidents (2025)===

======Held at gunpoint:======

In Española, New Mexico, 21-year-old Jaclynn Gonzales and her 12-year-old sister were held at gunpoint and handcuffed after Flock's system mistook a "2" for a "7" on their license plate, falsely flagging their vehicle as stolen.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-09-28 |title=License plate cover leads to traffic stop mishap |url=https://www.koat.com/article/espanola-police-license-plate-stolen-cover-traffic-stop/45361740}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025 |title=Flock Safety: Eroding Your Privacy & Keeping You Safe with Surveillance |url=https://redact.dev/blog/flock-safety-lpr-privacy-surveillance/ |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=Redact}}</ref>

=== Law enforcement stalking incidents (2022-2025) ===

Many documented cases demonstrate abuse of Flock's surveillance capabilities by law enforcement officers:

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===Constitutional challenges (2024-ongoing)===

In February 2024, Federal Judge Mark Davis ~~ruled that~~ Norfolk~~, Virginia~~'s use of 172 Flock cameras ~~likely violates the Fourth Amendment~~, comparing the case to Carpenter v. United States regarding warrantless location tracking. ~~The judge found~~ it "''difficult to drive anywhere of any distance without running into a camera."''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://insideinvestigator.org/flock-camera-lawsuit-can-move-forward/|title=Flock camera lawsuit can move forward|work=Connecticut Inside Investigator|date=2024~~|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>~~

In February 2024, Federal Judge Mark Davis denied Norfolk's motion to dismiss a Fourth Amendment challenge to the city's use of 172 Flock cameras, comparing the case to Carpenter v. United States regarding warrantless location tracking. Norfolk Police Chief Mark Talbot stated that the cameras were placed so it would be "''difficult to drive anywhere of any distance without running into a camera."''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://insideinvestigator.org/flock-camera-lawsuit-can-move-forward/|title=Flock camera lawsuit can move forward|work=Connecticut Inside Investigator|date=2024|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>

~~===False positive incidents (2025)===~~

~~======Held at gunpoint:======~~

In Española, New Mexico, 21-year-old Jaclynn Gonzales and her 12-year-old sister were held at gunpoint and handcuffed after Flock's system mistook a "2" for a "7" on their license plate, falsely flagging their vehicle as stolen.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://redact.dev/blog/flock-safety-lpr-privacy-surveillance/|title=Flock Safety: Eroding Your Privacy & Keeping You Safe with Surveillance|work=Redact|date=2025|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>

===Security vulnerabilities (2024)===

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-{{Stub}}
 {{ProductCargo
 |Company=Flock Safety
@@ Line 15: / Line 14: @@
 ==Taxpayer impact summary==
 ====Freedom====
-Residents and taxpayers have no mechanism to opt out of Flock's surveillance network. The cameras operate 24/7 in public spaces, recording all passing vehicles regardless of consent. Unlike traditional security cameras that may be avoided by choosing different routes, Flock's expanding network of over 40,000 cameras makes avoidance increasingly difficult.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deflock.me/|title=Find Nearby ALPRs|work=DeFlock|access-date=2025-08-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250728224453/https://deflock.me/|archive-date=2025-07-28|url-status=live}}</ref> The system uses AI to create ''"Vehicle Fingerprints"'' that identify vehicles by characteristics beyond license plates, including make, model, color, window stickers, and roof racks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/surveillance-company-flock-now-using-ai-to-report-us-to-police-if-it-thinks-our-movement-patterns-are-suspicious|title=Surveillance Company Flock Now Using AI to Report Us to Police if it Thinks Our Movement Patterns Are "Suspicious"|work=American Civil Liberties Union|date=2024|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>
+Residents and taxpayers have no mechanism to opt out of Flock's surveillance network. The cameras operate 24/7 in public spaces, recording all passing vehicles regardless of consent. Unlike traditional security cameras that may be avoided by choosing different routes, Flock's expanding network of over 40,000 cameras makes avoidance increasingly difficult.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deflock.me/|title=Find Nearby ALPRs|work=DeFlock|access-date=2025-08-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250728224453/https://deflock.me/|archive-date=2025-07-28|url-status=live}}</ref> The system uses AI to create ''"Vehicle Fingerprints"'' that identify vehicles by characteristics beyond license plates, including make, model, color, aftermarket parts, window stickers, and roof racks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/surveillance-company-flock-now-using-ai-to-report-us-to-police-if-it-thinks-our-movement-patterns-are-suspicious|title=Surveillance Company Flock Now Using AI to Report Us to Police if it Thinks Our Movement Patterns Are "Suspicious"|work=American Civil Liberties Union|date=2024|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>
 ====Privacy====
-While Flock Safety claims their system doesn't violate Fourth Amendment rights because ''"license plates are not personal information,"''<ref name="Flock-PE">{{Cite web|url=https://www.flocksafety.com/privacy-ethics|title=Privacy & Ethics|work=Flock Safety|access-date=2025-08-23|archive-url=https://archive.ph/OP55p|archive-date=2025-08-23|url-status=live}}</ref> federal courts have challenged this interpretation. In February 2024, a federal judge ruled that Norfolk, Virginia's use of 172 Flock cameras likely violates the Fourth Amendment, finding the system creates a ''"detailed chronicle of a person's physical presence compiled every day."''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ij.org/press-release/judge-rules-lawsuit-challenging-norfolks-use-of-flock-cameras-can-proceed/|title=Judge Rules Lawsuit Challenging Norfolk's Use of Flock Cameras Can Proceed|work=Institute for Justice|date=2024-02-01|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>
+While Flock Safety claims their system doesn't violate Fourth Amendment rights because ''"license plates are not personal information,"''<ref name="Flock-PE">{{Cite web|url=https://www.flocksafety.com/privacy-ethics|title=Privacy & Ethics|work=Flock Safety|access-date=2025-08-23|archive-url=https://archive.ph/OP55p|archive-date=2025-08-23|url-status=live}}</ref> federal courts have challenged this interpretation. In February 2024, a federal judge ruled that a lawsuit challenging Norfolk, Virginia's use of 172 Flock cameras could proceed, finding that plaintiffs had plausibly alleged the system creates a ''"detailed chronicle of a person's physical presence compiled every day."''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ij.org/press-release/judge-rules-lawsuit-challenging-norfolks-use-of-flock-cameras-can-proceed/|title=Judge Rules Lawsuit Challenging Norfolk's Use of Flock Cameras Can Proceed|work=Institute for Justice|date=2024-02-01|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>
 Data collected includes location history that can reveal sensitive information about medical visits, religious attendance, political activities, and personal associations. While Flock states data is deleted after 30 days, contracts grant them ''"perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license"'' to use anonymized data indefinitely.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flocksafety.com/terms-and-conditions|title=Terms and Conditions|work=Flock Safety|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref> The system shares data across a network of over 4,800 law enforcement agencies nationally.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.404media.co/lawsuit-argues-warrantless-use-of-flock-surveillance-cameras-is-unconstitutional/|title=Lawsuit Argues Warrantless Use of Flock Surveillance Cameras Is Unconstitutional|work=404 Media|date=2024|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>
@@ Line 32: / Line 31: @@
 ====Market control====
 Flock Safety has rapidly expanded to become a dominant force in automated license plate recognition, operating in 49 states with over 40,000 cameras deployed. The company's network effect creates pressure for additional jurisdictions to join, as law enforcement effectiveness depends on network coverage. Several states have begun restricting access following privacy violations, with California, Illinois, and New York limiting data sharing after immigration and abortion-related tracking incidents.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.michaelrcronin.com/post/flock-blocks-ice-from-license-plate-reader-access-in-several-states|title='Flock' Blocks ICE from License Plate Reader Access in Several States|work=Yes You Can Go|date=2025|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>
+===Premise of a "license plate camera"===
+=====Vehicle Fingerprint technology=====
+These are often referred to as license plate cameras, which creates a fundamental misunderstanding of the product's capabilities.
+While marketed as "License Plate Readers," Flock's cameras use what the company calls "''Vehicle Fingerprint"'' technology that tracks vehicles using characteristics beyond just license plates. According to Flock's own marketing materials, the system can identify vehicles even when license plates cannot be captured, advertised as turning ''"images into actionable evidence — no plate required."''<ref>{{Cite web |title=LPR Cameras |url=https://www.flocksafety.com/products/lpr-cameras |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=Flock Safety}}</ref>
+[[File:No plate, still works.png|alt=Taken from Flock's marketing materials on their website. Their cameras are advertised as not needing a license plate to work due to vehicle fingerprinting technology; demonstrating that this is far more than just a "license plate camera" |thumb|Taken from Flock's marketing materials on their website. Their cameras are advertised as not needing a license plate to work due to vehicle fingerprinting technology; demonstrating that this is far more than just a "license plate camera" <ref>{{Cite web |title=LPR Cameras |url=https://www.flocksafety.com/products/license-plate-readers}}</ref>]]
+The system catalogs vehicles based on numerous distinguishing features including make, model, color, bumper stickers, dents, damage patterns, roof racks, aftermarket modifications such as wheels or spoilers, window stickers, and even mismatching paint colors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harwell |first=Drew |date=2021-10-22 |title=Flock license plate readers spark controversy in Golden, Colo. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/22/crime-suburbs-license-plate-readers/ |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Flock Safety ALPR |url=https://www.campbellca.gov/1260/Flock-Safety-ALPR |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=City of Campbell}}</ref> Flock claims this capability is ''"unique among ALPR systems"'' & allows law enforcement to search for vehicles based on these characteristics even without a visible license plate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flock Safety |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flock_Safety |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=Wikipedia}}</ref>
+This technology changes the nature of the surveillance from license plate reading to comprehensive vehicle tracking. A person could still be tracked by the unique combination of their vehicle's physical characteristics. The Electronic Frontier Foundation warns that these ''"vehicle fingerprints"'' could flag vehicles based on political bumper stickers, revealing ''"information on the political or social views of the driver,"'' or economic indicators like rust or damage, potentially "endangering anyone who might not feel the need (or have the income required) to keep their car in perfect shape."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-14 |title=Things to Know Before Your Neighborhood Installs an Automated License Plate Reader |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/09/flock-license-plate-reader-homeowners-association-safe-problems |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=Electronic Frontier Foundation}}</ref>
+Privacy advocates note that this expanded tracking capability makes the term ''"license plate reader"'' misleading, as Flock systems create detailed vehicle profiles that persist even without readable plates. It turns any distinguishing feature of a vehicle into a tracking identifier.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stop Flock |url=https://www.stopflock.com/ |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=Stop Flock}}</ref>
 ==Incidents==
-===Law enforcement stalking incidents (2022-2025)===
+===False positive incidents (2025)===
+======Held at gunpoint:======
+In Española, New Mexico, 21-year-old Jaclynn Gonzales and her 12-year-old sister were held at gunpoint and handcuffed after Flock's system mistook a "2" for a "7" on their license plate, falsely flagging their vehicle as stolen.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-09-28 |title=License plate cover leads to traffic stop mishap |url=https://www.koat.com/article/espanola-police-license-plate-stolen-cover-traffic-stop/45361740}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025 |title=Flock Safety: Eroding Your Privacy & Keeping You Safe with Surveillance |url=https://redact.dev/blog/flock-safety-lpr-privacy-surveillance/ |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=Redact}}</ref>
+=== Law enforcement stalking incidents (2022-2025) ===
 Many documented cases demonstrate abuse of Flock's surveillance capabilities by law enforcement officers:
@@ Line 60: / Line 77: @@
 ===Constitutional challenges (2024-ongoing)===
-In February 2024, Federal Judge Mark Davis ruled that Norfolk, Virginia's use of 172 Flock cameras likely violates the Fourth Amendment, comparing the case to Carpenter v. United States regarding warrantless location tracking. The judge found it "''difficult to drive anywhere of any distance without running into a camera."''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://insideinvestigator.org/flock-camera-lawsuit-can-move-forward/|title=Flock camera lawsuit can move forward|work=Connecticut Inside Investigator|date=2024|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>
+In February 2024, Federal Judge Mark Davis denied Norfolk's motion to dismiss a Fourth Amendment challenge to the city's use of 172 Flock cameras, comparing the case to Carpenter v. United States regarding warrantless location tracking. Norfolk Police Chief Mark Talbot stated that the cameras were placed so it would be "''difficult to drive anywhere of any distance without running into a camera."''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://insideinvestigator.org/flock-camera-lawsuit-can-move-forward/|title=Flock camera lawsuit can move forward|work=Connecticut Inside Investigator|date=2024|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>
-===False positive incidents (2025)===
-======Held at gunpoint:======
-In Española, New Mexico, 21-year-old Jaclynn Gonzales and her 12-year-old sister were held at gunpoint and handcuffed after Flock's system mistook a "2" for a "7" on their license plate, falsely flagging their vehicle as stolen.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://redact.dev/blog/flock-safety-lpr-privacy-surveillance/|title=Flock Safety: Eroding Your Privacy & Keeping You Safe with Surveillance|work=Redact|date=2025|access-date=2025-08-23}}</ref>
 ===Security vulnerabilities (2024)===