Talk:Flock license plate readers

Change this page to Flock generally as the scope of the article expanded

Flock also sells regular AI-Powered surveillance cameras [1], Mobile security trailers [2], and "Drones as a First Responder" [3].

I suggest that we make this article about flock more generally instead of specifically focusing on their ALPR product.

Revelation 13 16-17 (talk) 03:16, 26 August 2025 (UTC)

I also think the language used fails to distinguish between Flock's presence in the U.S. vs other parts of the world. They are deployed across the globe. Colleen (talk) 17:05, 27 August 2025 (UTC)

404 Error pages for links

User @Left4Code found a large swathe of error pages for many of the references in this article. This discussion topic is to list and discuss the references.

Ref #	Title	Issue	Archive state	Link
20	"How Vehicle Fingerprint Technology Works"	404	no archive	https://www.flocksafety.com/resources/how-vehicle-fingerprint-technology-works
21	"License Plate Surveillance Company Can Now Capture Images of Vehicle Occupants' Faces"	404	no archive	https://www.404media.co/flock-safety-can-now-capture-faces-of-vehicle-occupants/
22	"Transforming Flock: Beyond License Plate Reading to Deliver Greater Insights for Solving Crime"	404	no archive	https://www.flocksafety.com/newsroom/transforming-flock-beyond-license-plate-reading-to-deliver-greater-insights-for-solving-crime/
24	"Atlas of Surveillance: Flock Safety"	goes to deeplinks blog, but no article	no archive	https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/04/atlas-surveillance-flock-safety
25	"Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle v. Baltimore Police Department"	404	no archive	https://www.eff.org/cases/leaders-beautiful-struggle-v-baltimore-police-department
26	"Carpenter and the Evolving Fourth Amendment"	404	no archive	https://www.law.georgetown.edu/american-criminal-law-review/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/01/60-1-Carpenter-and-the-Evolving-Fourth-Amendment.pdf
27	"Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle v. Baltimore Police Department"	404	no archive	https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67689711/leaders-of-a-beautiful-struggle-v-baltimore-police-department/
28	"Illinois Compiled Statutes - Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act"	404	no archive	https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=3541&ChapterID=53
29	"RSA 236:130 Automated License Plate Recognition"	potential 404	no archive	http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XXI/236/236-130.htm
32	"Surveillance firm provided ICE access to license plate reader systems"	404	no archive	https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jul/15/flock-safety-ice-license-plate-reader
33	"How Flock Safety is Building a Surveillance Network for ICE"	404	no archive	https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/03/flock-safety-and-ice
34	"ICE Surveillance of Immigrants and Advocates"	404	no archive	https://americanoversight.org/investigation/ice-surveillance-of-immigrants-and-advocates/
35	"ACLU Obtains Records Showing ICE Using License Plate Readers in Sanctuary Cities"	404	no archive	https://www.aclunc.org/news/aclu-obtains-records-showing-ice-using-license-plate-readers-sanctuary-cities
36	"License Plate Readers Are Creating a US-Wide Database of More Than Just Cars"	404	no archive	https://www.vice.com/en/article/license-plate-readers-abortion-clinics-texas
37	"Reproductive Surveillance in Post-Roe America"	404	no archive	https://www.surveillancewatch.io/reproductive-surveillance-post-roe/
38	"State Shield Laws and Reproductive Privacy"	dead site	no archive	https://reproductiverights.gov/shield-laws/
39	"Flock Safety Employees Caught Misusing Access to Surveillance Network"	404	no archive	https://www.wired.com/story/flock-safety-employees-misuse-access/
40	"Audit Reveals Hundreds of Flock Safety Privacy Violations"	404	no archive	https://www.techdirt.com/2024/05/15/audit-reveals-hundreds-of-flock-safety-privacy-violations/
41	"When License Plate Readers Become Tools for Stalking"	404	no archive	https://apnews.com/article/license-plate-readers-police-misuse-stalking
42	"Detroit Officer Fired for Using City Cameras to Track Ex-Wife"	404	no archive	https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2024/03/officer-fired-tracking-ex-wife/
43	"Proactive Security Disclosure Q2 2025"	404	no archive	https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/proactive-security-disclosure-q2-2025

Beanie Bo (talk) 17:40, 26 October 2025 (UTC)

I got started on this and here's what I found in relation to these links so far. Will work on it more later. Note that the numbers will no longer correspond now that some changes have been made. Might have to use previous version for direct referencing.

- - -

• 20: Fixed. Link changed to https://www.flocksafety.com/products/license-plate-readers
• 21: Removed broken reference and replaced with citation-needed.
• 22: Fixed. Changed to reference #20 with wiki article details changed accordingly.
• 24: Might be referring to this article but article does not reference discrimination. New reference is needed.
• 25: Fixed. Link changed to https://www.eff.org/document/fourth-circuit-ruling-leaders-beautiful-struggle-v-baltimore-police-department
• 26: Reference was irrelevant for where it was cited. Replaced with citation-needed.

Beanie Bo (talk) 18:28, 26 October 2025 (UTC)

27: Fixed.

28: Couldn't find anything on 90 days. Changed info accordingly and added new reference.

29: Fixed.

32: Fixed. Corrected some pretty bad misinformation. Gotta be more vigilant with using LLM's.

33: Removed and added citation needed.

34-35: Removed all context, appears to be misinformation.

36-38: Fixed links. Removed misinformation.

39-40: Removed. Info appears to be blatant misinformation and libel

41-42: Fixed. Removed misinformation

43: Fixed Beanie Bo (talk) 03:06, 29 October 2025 (UTC)

I edit in a markdown editor using markdown because I still haven't gotten the hang of WikiText and asked claude to convert my markdown to WikiText without changing anything. I missed that it added shit. My bad. I'm going to edit in the Wiki editor from now on and if my browser freezes, that is life. Thank you for catching it. Louis (talk) 19:29, 29 October 2025 (UTC)

Np. I'll clean up the rest of the Claude stuff Beanie Bo (talk) 20:12, 29 October 2025 (UTC)

New Info

- Flock images are sent to a foreign contractor, where they are specifically tasked with identifying people in images (haveibeenflocked.com)

- Washington judge ruled that Flock data are subject to FOIA requests

- ACLU & EFF San Diego lawsuit Beanie Bo (talk) 03:19, 21 November 2025 (UTC)

- Flock announces a partnership with Ring doorbell only a month(?) after Ring announces facial recognition capabilities coming to their doorbells. (Also add this to Ring, as they happily submit data to feds) Beanie Bo (talk) 04:24, 22 November 2025 (UTC)

Idk who edited my discussion post to put that info on Haveibeenflocked.com. Next time, please write it as a separate comment. Editing someone else's discussion post makes it look like they're the ones saying it when they're not Beanie Bo (talk) 14:31, 28 November 2025 (UTC)

2026 Mountain View findings

I was trying to add the following section to the "California violations" subsection, but ran into the autofilter. I guess because my account is new and how dare I cite my edits, or something? Please consider adding it to the article.

↓↓↓↓↓↓

The Mountain View Police Department became aware in early January in 2026 during a department-initiated audit that for a brief period in 2024 federal agencies accessed data from the first camera in operation in the city.

“During the prior federal administration, from August to November 2024, several federal law enforcement agencies accessed Mountain View’s Flock Safety ALPR system for one camera via a 'nationwide' search setting that was turned on by Flock Safety. This setting was enabled without MVPD’s permission or knowledge. The federal agencies that accessed the one camera’s data include Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives offices in Kentucky and Nashville, TN; Langley Air Force Base in Virginia; the U.S. GSA Office of Inspector General; Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada; and an Ohio Air Force Base. Flock Safety did not retain records for that time period, which means the vendor cannot determine whether searches of Mountain View’s data resulted in license plate information being shared.”

MVPD officers also uncovered that “statewide lookup” had been turned on for all the city’s cameras since the program began. This feature has been turned off by the department on January 5, 2026. The MVPD plans to present a review of the ALPR pilot program to the City Council.

On February 2, 2026 Mountain View Police Chief Mike Canfield announced that all of the city's license plate cameras are being disabled, effective immediately.

Juzernev (talk) 18:09, 7 February 2026 (UTC)

Apologies - I've now confirmed you so you shouldn't run into any more filter problems. I'll add the text to the article. Keith (talk) 00:16, 9 February 2026 (UTC)