The Guy Who Says He Hacked Flock Cameras EXPOSES How Vulnerable They Are to Security Issues

Our Take

This is a short preview of a longer conversation between Andy Stumpf and Benn Jordan, and even in trailer form it's worth paying attention to. Jordan isn't a surveillance beat reporter — he's a musician and science/tech creator with a massive audience — and his outside-in investigation into Flock's camera network is exactly the kind of scrutiny this industry has mostly avoided. When someone with no dog in the fight starts poking at tens of thousands of exposed ALPR devices, that's a signal the vulnerabilities are real and not just activist talking points.

We say this constantly: a nationwide network of license-plate cameras feeding data to police and private companies is only as trustworthy as its weakest technical link. If a hobbyist-level investigation can surface that many exposed or misconfigured cameras, it raises hard questions about who else has quietly had access to your movements — hackers, stalkers, foreign actors, take your pick. Flock's pitch has always been about safety and accountability. Security holes at this scale undercut that pitch entirely.

We'll be watching for the full episode once it drops, and we'll keep tracking what Jordan's research turns up. In the meantime, check whether you're driving past one of these systems every day on our map, and if you want to push back on unchecked ALPR deployment in your area, our take-action page has concrete next steps.