Automated License Plate Readers are everywhere now — and almost nobody knows where.

Our Take

Today Companies hits on the core problem we've been hammering at for years: these cameras aren't hiding in some secret government facility, they're bolted to light poles and stop signs in plain sight, and almost nobody notices. That's not an accident. Flock Safety and its peers have built a business model on quiet installation — no public hearing, no press release, just a camera and a contract with a local police department or HOA. By the time residents realize their daily commute is being logged, the system's already live and the data's already flowing.

The video's framing — "everywhere now, and almost nobody knows where" — is exactly why we built our own public map in the first place. If law enforcement and private vendors won't tell you where you're being watched, someone has to. Mapping these devices isn't paranoia, it's basic civic accounting: you can't have a debate about surveillance policy if the public doesn't even know the surveillance exists.

Awareness is step one, but it's not the finish line. Once you know a camera's on your route, there are real avenues to push back — public records requests, city council meetings, vendor contract reviews. Check our map to see what's been documented near you, and head to take-action for concrete steps to push back on unchecked ALPR expansion in your community.