The new problem with flock cameras

Our Take

KABB Fox San Antonio is flagging a story that should worry anyone who's been told Flock's ALPR network is a tightly locked, professionally guarded system: hackers reportedly pulled a camera out of the field, got into its data, and handed what they found to reporters. Whatever the technical specifics turn out to be, the headline alone undercuts the industry's favorite talking point — that these cameras are safe because access is restricted to vetted law enforcement.

This is the uncomfortable truth about mass surveillance infrastructure: it's not just a privacy risk when it works as intended, it's a security risk when it doesn't. Every camera bolted to a pole is a physical target, every database of scanned plates and timestamps is a honeypot, and every vendor promise about encryption and access controls is only as good as its weakest device in the field. When that data gets into the wrong hands — hacker, journalist, or otherwise — the people whose movements were logged had no say in any of it.

We'll be watching for more reporting on what exactly was breached and how. In the meantime, check our map to see if Flock has a presence near you, and visit take action if you want to push back on these systems before the next breach makes the decision for you.