Dad questions who can access Flock camera data

Our Take

WSB-TV's Michael Doudna brings us a story that cuts through the abstract privacy debate and makes it personal: a Dunwoody dad found that his three-month-old son has effectively been under surveillance since before birth, his family's movements folded into a database that's been queried more than 17 million times. That number alone should stop anyone in their tracks. It's not 17 million threats investigated — it's 17 million searches, run by who knows how many agencies, for reasons the public rarely gets to see.

This is the core problem with Flock's network: once a camera captures your plate, that data doesn't just sit there for one case and disappear. It becomes part of a searchable record that other departments, federal agencies, and sometimes private entities can query, often with minimal local oversight and even less public accountability. A parent shouldn't have to file requests and dig through logs to learn that his infant has a tracked movement history. That's the system working exactly as designed — just not as most residents imagine when they're told these cameras are only for catching stolen cars.

Stories like this are why documenting where these cameras actually sit matters. Check our map to see what's watching your neighborhood, and if you want to push back on unchecked access to this data, visit our take-action page for ways to get involved.