Flock making changes to its license plate reader network
The short version: WQAD News 8 reports Flock is tweaking its ALPR network after a Washington Post investigation found dozens of officers misusing the system, underscoring why oversight can't be an afterthought.
Our Take
Credit to WQAD News 8 for putting a local news lens on a national problem. When a company announces "changes" to its network only after a major newspaper investigation surfaces officer misuse, that's not proactive governance — that's damage control. The fact that the Washington Post reportedly found at least 50 officers abusing access to this data should be the headline, not a footnote to a corporate PR update.
This is the pattern we keep seeing with Flock: build first, ask permission later, and only tighten the rules once journalists or the public force the issue. Audit logs and policy tweaks sound reassuring, but they don't undo the fact that thousands of cameras have already been quietly logging where ordinary people drive, park, and live, often with little public debate before installation. Self-policing by the same company selling the surveillance product is a weak substitute for real accountability.
If you want to see how far this network already reaches, check our camera map for cameras near you, and if you think your town deserves a real conversation about whether this technology belongs on its streets, our take-action page has resources to help you push back.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of WQAD News 8, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.