#flock (alpr) camera misuse in our own backyard
The short version: A congressional candidate's video spotlights alleged Flock ALPR misuse in Fort Pierce, underscoring that camera abuse isn't hypothetical — it's local.
Our Take
When a candidate for Congress is making Flock camera misuse a campaign issue, that tells you something: this isn't an abstract privacy debate cooked up by activists, it's a kitchen-table problem showing up in real towns like Fort Pierce. Alex Cooke's video adds to a growing pile of local testimony that these networks don't stay confined to their stated purpose — once the cameras and the data pipes exist, the temptation to use them for more than they were sold on tends to win out.
We can't verify every claim in the video ourselves, but the pattern is familiar. Departments roll out ALPR systems promising narrow use cases, then quietly expand access, share data across jurisdictions, or let searches happen with little oversight. That's exactly why community members — not just politicians — need to know what's watching them. Check our camera map to see what's deployed near you in Florida and beyond.
Credit to Alex Cooke for putting a spotlight on this in a local race, where it's easier for these systems to expand unchecked. If you want to push back on unaccountable ALPR deployment in your own city, our take-action page has tools for exactly that.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Alex Cooke for Congress, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.