FLOCK CAMERAS — ARE WE BEING TRACKED EVERYWHERE WE DRIVE?

Our Take

Credit to Spartan Apps for tackling a real gap: most drivers have no idea how many Flock Safety cameras and other license plate readers they roll past every day. The video is light on specifics — FLOCK-IT is still "coming soon" — but the pitch itself says a lot. People want to know when they're being logged, and right now the industry offers them nothing. No public registry, no opt-out, no signage requirement in most towns. An app promising "know before you go" is really just citizens trying to build the transparency that police departments and Flock itself refuse to provide.

That's the same gap we've been trying to close with our own crowdsourced camera map, which tracks confirmed ALPR locations nationwide. Tools like this only work if the community keeps feeding them accurate data, so if you spot a camera Spartan Apps or our map hasn't logged yet, add it. The more eyes on this network, the harder it is for it to stay invisible.

We'll be watching for FLOCK-IT's actual release before passing judgment on how it works or what data it collects — an app that tracks surveillance cameras should itself be transparent about its own data practices. But the underlying instinct, that drivers deserve situational awareness about being tracked in real time, is exactly right. If you want to do more than just avoid cameras, check out our take-action page for ways to push back on ALPR expansion in your own city.