Detecting Surveillance: ESP32 & Flock Safety #shorts
The short version: A DEF CON-sourced short shows how cheap ESP32 boards can sniff out Flock Safety ALPR signals, putting real counter-surveillance tools within reach of everyday people.
Our Take
STS Technologies LLC's short pulls from a DEF CON 34 talk by Cybertiger, Colonel Panic, and The Wrew, and it makes a point worth repeating: you don't need a hacker lab to start pushing back on ALPR surveillance. A $10 ESP32 microcontroller, in the right hands, can be turned into a signal-detection tool that helps people understand when and where wireless surveillance hardware like Flock Safety cameras is operating nearby.
That matters because most people have no idea how dense the ALPR network around them has become until they see it mapped out. Flock cameras run quietly on utility poles and stop-sign posts, feeding plate scans into a nationwide database with little public oversight. Tools that let ordinary citizens detect and document that infrastructure — rather than just take it on faith from a city council slide deck — shift the power balance, even a little.
We're not vouching for any specific product, but we like seeing the DIY security community treat ALPR detection as a legitimate, teachable skill instead of a fringe hobby. If you want to see what's already been mapped in your area, check our camera map, and if you're ready to do something about the cameras near you, our take-action page has next steps.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of STS Technologies LLC, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.