STOP SPYING ON US.

Our Take

CODEPINK is known for direct-action organizing, not surveillance reporting, so it's notable to see them turn their lens on automated license plate readers. Their framing lines up with what we've been saying for years: a network of cameras that logs every car that passes, shares data across jurisdictions, and can be queried by agencies far outside the town that installed them is not a parking-enforcement tool. It's a tracking system, and the "AI-powered" marketing gloss doesn't change that fact.

What makes this video worth watching isn't new data — it's who's saying it. When advocacy groups outside the usual privacy-and-tech world start sounding the alarm on Flock Safety and similar systems, it's a sign the issue is breaking out of niche policy circles and into broader public consciousness. That matters, because the expansion of these camera networks has largely happened without much public debate, city council meeting by city council meeting, often sold as a crime-fighting measure with little scrutiny of who else gets access to the data or how long it's retained.

Credit to CODEPINK for putting a spotlight on this. If you want to see how far this surveillance net has spread in your own area, check out our camera map, and if you're ready to push back locally, our take-action resources can help you figure out where to start.