Flock is downsizing, will someone take their place or have government officials gotten the hint yet?
The short version: Ken Bogner asks if Flock's reported downsizing signals officials are finally rethinking ALPR surveillance, or if another vendor will just fill the void.
Our Take
Ken Bogner raises a question worth sitting with: if Flock Safety is scaling back, is that a sign that pushback on automated license plate readers is actually landing, or just a lull before the next contractor pitches the same surveillance dragnet with a different logo? We don't have the internal numbers Flock keeps close to the vest, so we won't speculate on causes, but the question itself cuts to the heart of this fight. Corporate restructuring doesn't undo the thousands of cameras already logging plates, timestamps, and locations in towns across the country.
That's the trap with treating any one company as the whole problem. Flock built the brand name, but the real issue is the business model: cheap camera networks, vague retention policies, and police departments that would rather buy convenience than justify it to the public. If Flock stumbles, there's no shortage of competitors ready to sell city councils the exact same pitch with a fresh coat of paint. The fight isn't about killing one vendor, it's about making camera surveillance expensive politically, not just financially.
If you want to see whether your own neighborhood is already wired up, check our camera map, and if you're ready to push back locally, our take-action page has the tools to start that conversation with your city council before the next vendor shows up.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Ken Bogner, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.