What Are Flock Cameras, and how does the government use them to spy on us?

Our Take

Credit to Carlos X. Gómez for putting a spotlight on Flock Safety's ALPR network and framing it in terms regular people actually ask: what is this thing bolted to the pole on my street, and why does it exist? That question is more subversive than it sounds, because most of these systems get installed through quiet city council votes, grant applications, or police department procurement — not public debate. By the time residents notice the camera, it's already been logging plates for months.

The video's broader point lands because it names the real issue: this isn't a single camera watching a single intersection, it's a networked system that builds a searchable history of where your car has been, cross-referenced across jurisdictions and often shared with federal agencies with little oversight. That's the architecture of mass surveillance, built one 'public safety' pitch at a time, with no warrant required and no meaningful consent from the people being tracked.

If this video got you wondering whether there's one of these cameras near you, check our camera map to see what's already been documented in your area, and visit our take-action page for ways to push back at the local level before the next camera goes up.