Surveillance doesn't need your phone anymore
The short version: Ruby Whim's video nails the point that ALPR surveillance bypasses your phone entirely, capturing your car and movements regardless of your digital hygiene.
Our Take
Ruby Whim's video gets at something we've been saying since day one: all the VPNs, burner phones, and privacy settings in the world don't matter when a camera on a pole photographs your license plate, timestamps it, and logs your location every time you drive past. ALPR systems like Flock Safety's don't care about your digital footprint — they care about your physical one, and that data gets sold or shared with whoever has access, often with little oversight and even less public awareness.
That's the uncomfortable truth this video surfaces for a broader audience. Plate readers aren't hypothetical or futuristic — they're bolted to intersections and neighborhood entrances right now, building a searchable history of where you've been. Credit to Ruby Whim for putting this in front of viewers who may have assumed surveillance was something you could just opt out of with the right app.
If this video got your attention, go see how close the nearest camera actually is on our camera map, and check our take-action page for ways to push back in your own town.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Ruby Whim, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.