Massachusetts judge orders State Police to release Flock camera records
The short version: A Massachusetts judge ordered State Police to hand over Flock camera records, a win for transparency as more towns scrutinize misuse of the surveillance network.
Our Take
Credit to NBC 10 WJAR for tracking this one: a Massachusetts judge has ordered the State Police to turn over records on how they're using Flock Safety's license plate readers. That's not a small thing. Agencies love to treat ALPR data and usage logs like trade secrets, stonewalling public records requests while quietly expanding camera networks that scan every plate that passes, innocent or not. A court forcing disclosure is exactly the kind of pressure that keeps these systems from operating in the dark.
The timing matters too. This ruling lands as more Massachusetts communities are pumping the brakes on Flock, and as confirmed cases of officers misusing the technology pile up elsewhere. That's the pattern we keep seeing nationwide: departments roll out mass surveillance first and answer questions later, if at all. Transparency orders like this one are often the only way the public finds out who's accessing the data, why, and whether it's being shared with outside agencies with zero oversight.
If you want to see whether Flock cameras are already watching your commute, check our camera map, and if you're ready to push back on secretive deployments in your own town, our take-action page has the tools to get started.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of NBC 10 WJAR, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.