Security expert discusses alleged misuse of controversial Flock cameras
The short version: ABC News taps a security expert to unpack yet another alleged Flock camera misuse case, proving the abuse pattern is now mainstream news.
Our Take
When a network news outlet brings on a security contributor to talk through "alleged misuse" of Flock cameras, it's worth pausing on that word: alleged. These systems were sold to city councils as narrow tools for chasing stolen cars and Amber Alerts. What keeps surfacing instead, case after case, is officers and operators using nationwide ALPR access to run plates for personal reasons that have nothing to do with public safety — checking on exes, neighbors, family members, anyone they're curious about.
That's not a bug in the Flock system, it's the predictable result of building a searchable, cross-jurisdictional log of everyone's movements and handing broad access to thousands of agencies with little real auditing. Brad Garrett's take on ABC News is useful because it puts a mainstream, security-establishment voice on a problem we've been tracking for a while: once the data exists, someone will misuse it, and the public usually only finds out after the fact, if at all.
If you want to know whether this is happening in your own backyard, check our camera map to see what's already watching your streets, and head to take-action for concrete steps to push your local officials on transparency and audit logs before the next "alleged misuse" story breaks in your town.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of ABC News, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.