DeFlock: The Extreme Pushback Against AI License Plate Readers

Our Take

Cybernews put a spotlight on something we've been tracking since day one: the gap between Flock Safety's pitch and the reality of a warrantless, always-on tracking grid. Their video, built around footage credited to OrwellDay on X, does a solid job laying out both halves of the resistance — the boring, effective kind (city councils reading the fine print and canceling contracts) and the loud, destructive kind (people cutting down poles). Over 80 cities backing out isn't a fringe statistic. That's local government, across red and blue areas alike, deciding a private company logging every car's movement isn't worth the PR photo op.

We don't endorse vandalism, and neither does this movement's more effective wing. Destroying a camera gets you a night on the news and a new camera installed a week later, often with better tamper protection. What actually kills these contracts is public records requests, city council meetings, and neighbors showing up to ask blunt questions about retention periods, data sharing with ICE and other agencies, and who audits the audit logs. That's slower, less viral, and it's the only thing that's worked over and over in city after city.

If this video got you paying attention, the next step is knowing what's actually near you. Check our camera map to see documented ALPR locations in your area, and if you want to push back the way that's actually moved the needle, our take-action page has the tools for the fight that doesn't end with a bent camera pole.