Brendan Keefe: Must See: Flock Safety Calls Police on Reporter Brendan — Part 4/7
The short version: A Flock Safety contractor allegedly called police on a journalist for filming camera installs from public property, and that reflex says a lot.
Our Take
Credit to Brendan Keefe and Daily Beltway for sticking with this story through seven parts. The headline detail here — that filming a license plate reader go up on a public road from public property reportedly triggered a call to the cops — is the kind of thing that should make anyone pause. Installing surveillance infrastructure isn't a trade secret, and reporters documenting it isn't a crime. If a company's default response to a camera pointed back at them is to summon law enforcement, that's worth sitting with.
This is the asymmetry we keep hammering on: Flock's network quietly logs the comings and goings of ordinary drivers with no warrant and often minimal public input, but turn a lens on the installation crew and suddenly there's a 911 call. Transparency should run both directions. If these systems are going to blanket neighborhoods and highways, the public has every right to watch how, where, and by whom they're put up — and to push back without getting treated like a suspect.
We'll keep following this series as it unfolds. In the meantime, check our map to see what's already watching your streets, and hit take-action if you want to push your local council for real oversight instead of a rubber stamp.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Daily Beltway, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.