Deflocking Process Has Begun

Our Take

ClipFlickz's latest upload is short on narration and long on attitude: a camera, some cable clips, a roll of duct tape, and a caption that says it all — 'another camera down.' It's part of a growing genre of citizen footage documenting direct, hands-on resistance to Flock Safety's automated license plate readers. Whatever you think of the method, the sentiment behind it is unmistakable: people are tired of being tracked block by block without ever being asked.

We're not in the business of cheering on vandalism or pretending there's no legal risk in tampering with a mounted camera, some of which sit on public right-of-way and are owned by municipalities or private contractors. But we are in the business of documenting why so many Americans have reached this breaking point. Flock's network has expanded with almost no public debate in most towns, turning routine drives into logged, searchable events that police and private companies can query without a warrant. When people feel locked out of the normal channels — city council meetings, FOIA requests, votes — some decide to take matters into their own hands.

If you'd rather fight this battle with facts and pressure instead of duct tape, there are safer, more durable ways to push back. Check our camera map to see what's already watching your neighborhood, and head to our take-action page for tools to organize, file records requests, and push local officials to roll these systems back the legal way.