Milford Michigan City Council votes UNANIMOUSLY to CANCEL Flock camera contract

Our Take

Credit to Orwell Day for flagging this one, because it's exactly the kind of story that should be happening in every city council chamber in America. Milford, Michigan didn't just rubber-stamp a renewal — they actually read the fine print, and what they found should alarm anyone who's been told ALPR data is temporary and tightly controlled. A 30-day deletion promise quietly became a 'perpetual license' for Flock to hold onto your driving history indefinitely, even after a city cancels its contract. That's not a technical footnote. That's the company deciding it owns a permanent copy of where you've been, long after the people who approved the cameras have changed their minds.

Even more telling: the video notes that Flock removed language from its own terms and conditions stating it doesn't own and can't sell citizen information. You don't quietly delete a consumer-protection clause unless you're planning — or already working — around it. Milford's unanimous vote on the first contract is a win, but the real test comes in August when the second contract, ten more cameras, comes up for renewal. Companies count on these fights fading from public attention between votes.

This is the playbook other towns need to copy: don't just ask if the cameras work, ask who owns the data when the contract ends. Check whether your own city is already wired up on our camera map, and if you want to push back before your council signs a renewal, our take-action resources walk you through how.