Why are people spraying their license plate?
The short version: A viral video on plate-spray hacks shows how desperate people are to dodge Flock's ALPR dragnet — but the real fix is sunlight and policy, not paint.
Our Take
Dave Disci Stories' video on the Rustoleum spray trend is a symptom of something bigger: Americans are so fed up with being tracked block-by-block that they're reaching for a $7 can of clear coat to fight back. Credit to Dave for putting a spotlight on it. The fact that this stuff is reportedly selling out says more about public distrust of Flock Safety's camera network than it does about anyone trying to evade a legitimate traffic stop.
We're not in the business of recommending plate-obscuring hacks — most states have laws against it, and a can of spray paint doesn't fix the actual problem, which is a privately run, AI-powered surveillance network scanning and storing the movements of millions of innocent drivers with zero warrant and minimal oversight. Spraying your plate is a coping mechanism. It doesn't stop the cameras from existing, it doesn't get your data deleted, and it doesn't change the policies that let police departments share your location history with federal agencies and other states without your knowledge.
If you want to actually do something instead of just dodging the lens, check our camera map to see how many Flock units are already watching your daily commute, then head to our take-action page to push your city council for transparency audits, data retention limits, or outright removal. That's how you actually beat mass surveillance — not with a $7 can of Rustoleum.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Dave Disci Stories, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.