FLOCK HAD A PLAN TO TURN UBER AND LYFT CARS INTO SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS, REPORTS SAY
The short version: A YouTuber named Devin surfaces reports that Flock Safety explored turning rideshare vehicles into mobile camera platforms, raising the stakes for everyday surveillance creep.
Our Take
Credit to Devin for digging into this one, because if accurate, it's a logical next step for a company that's already blanketed neighborhoods with fixed ALPR cameras: why stop at stationary poles when you can put eyes on wheels and multiply your coverage overnight? Turning Uber and Lyft cars into roving surveillance nodes would mean your plate, your location, and your movement patterns get swept up not just at intersections but anywhere a rideshare driver happens to be circling for a fare.
We don't have the underlying documents in front of us, so we're not going to pretend we know the fine print of what was proposed or how far it got. But the broader pattern here is what should worry people: a private company with law enforcement contracts quietly exploring ways to expand its camera footprint using everyday consumers' cars, often without those drivers or the public fully grasping the scope. That's the same playbook we've seen with fixed Flock cameras showing up on utility poles and HOA entrances — infrastructure nobody voted on, feeding a nationwide database.
If this kind of mobile surveillance expansion is in the works, it makes it even more critical for communities to know what's already been deployed near them. Check our camera map to see what's tracking your area right now, and head to take-action if you want to push back before rideshare cars become the next rolling camera network.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Devin, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.