Flock cameras near Utah trailhead raise concerns
The short version: KUTV reports new Flock cameras near a Utah trailhead are worrying hikers, showing how ALPR creep now reaches recreational spaces, not just roads.
Our Take
A trailhead isn't a border checkpoint or a crime hotspot — it's where people go to get away from being tracked. So when KUTV 2 News in Salt Lake City reports that two new Flock Safety cameras have popped up near a local trail, it's a reminder that these systems don't stay confined to highways and parking lots. They spread into every corner of daily life, logging who comes and goes even when the "justification" is as flimsy as general deterrence.
This is the pattern we track again and again: a camera goes up with little public debate, residents find out after the fact, and only then does anyone ask who approved it, who can access the data, and how long it's kept. Outdoor spaces like trailheads should be among the last places blanketed in license-plate surveillance, yet they're increasingly fair game once a city signs a Flock contract. Local pushback, like what KUTV is capturing here, is exactly how communities start reclaiming some say over this technology.
Credit to KUTV 2 News for putting a camera on the cameras. If you want to see what's already watching your own neighborhood, check out our map, and if you'd rather not wait for a news crew to find out, visit our take-action page for ways to push back before the next install.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of KUTV 2 News Salt Lake City, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.