Stanwood to reactivate Flock license plate reader cameras after Driver Privacy Act signed
The short version: Stanwood, WA flips its Flock cameras back on after a new state law claims to regulate ALPR use, but 'regulation' often just means legalized surveillance.
Our Take
KOMO News reports that Stanwood pulled the plug on its Flock Safety cameras back in May 2025 over murky legal footing, and now it's flipping them back on because Governor Ferguson signed the Driver Privacy Act. Notice the pattern: a city hits pause, lawmakers pass something with a reassuring name, and the cameras come right back online. That's not oversight, that's a green light with a press release attached.
A statewide law that "adds structure" to ALPR use sounds good until you ask what it actually restricts. Retention limits and audit trails are nice on paper, but they don't stop a nationwide network operator like Flock from letting local data get pulled into federal searches, including immigration enforcement, which is exactly why this story is tagged with ICE in the first place. Once a city plugs back into that grid, your plate history is part of a system that reaches well past Stanwood's borders, law or no law.
If you live anywhere near Stanwood, or anywhere Flock operates, don't wait for the next headline to find out your commute is being logged. Check our camera map to see what's already watching your street, and hit take action for tools to push back before the next reactivation announcement.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of KOMO News, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.