Flock Camera demon taking dowm cameras
The short version: A viral video of someone disabling a Flock camera highlights growing public frustration with ALPR surveillance, even if vigilante tactics aren't the answer.
Our Take
The channel Digital ID, Mass Surveillance and Digital Currency has built a following by chronicling the creep of surveillance tech, and this clip of someone taking a Flock camera offline taps into something real: a lot of Americans are furious that these devices went up on public roads without a vote, a hearing, or even basic notice. We don't endorse vandalism or vigilante justice — it's illegal, it gets people hurt or prosecuted, and it gives Flock and local police a convenient narrative about 'attacks on public safety infrastructure' that distracts from the actual policy failures.
But the anger underneath the video is legitimate. Flock's network has expanded into thousands of communities with little transparency about data retention, who gets access, or how footage gets shared across state lines and with federal agencies including ICE. When people feel like quietly disabling a pole camera is their only recourse, that's a sign the normal channels — city council meetings, public records requests, procurement reviews — aren't working the way they should.
If you want a legal, durable way to push back, start by finding out what's actually deployed near you on our camera map, then use our take-action guide to organize a public records request or show up at a council meeting. Credit to the creator for keeping this issue in front of an audience that mainstream outlets often ignore — the fix just needs to come through policy, not pliers.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Digital ID, Mass Surveillance and Digital Currency, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.