Behind the massive blowback against Flock cameras
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Activists and citizens across the political spectrum are pushing back against license plate readers made by Flock and similar companies, fueled by privacy concerns and suspected police misuse.
Why it matters: Flock cameras are suddenly emerging as the next big target of populist anti-tech, pro-privacy sentiment, alongside the data centers fueling the AI boom.
The big picture: Flock has over 120,000 cameras across the country, the company tells Axios.
- Advocates say the cameras help quickly track down criminals, making cities safer.
- Opponents say they're a form of constant surveillance that infringes on residents' civil liberties. Some have even turned to sabotaging the cameras.
Zoom in: Some police officers have been investigated over allegations they misused license plate reader data for personal reasons.
- Three Arizona cities said this week that they're looking into officers' use of the cameras, including one instance in which an officer is suspected of using them to track down his wife.
- In Reynoldsburg, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, two officers resigned last week amid an investigation into misuse. An internal investigation revealed that one officer had used the tech over 40 times to track down a former domestic partner, per local reporting.
How it works: Flock and other automated license plate reader cameras are placed on streets and highways and use AI to capture and store information like car license plates, car make and other features.
What's happening: Mistrust and upheaval is leading communities nationwide to abandon Flock.
- In Lago Vista, a community near Austin that went for President Trump by a 20-point margin in 2024, city council members unanimously voted last week to end its contract.
- Denver cut off Flock in February after intense backlash. It's now contracting with Axon to operate its automatic license plate reader system, but with new rules around data retention and sharing info with federal authorities.
The latest: Flock said Thursday that it's improving its privacy, security and accountability features.
- It's making misuse detection mandatory for all customers, and cutting default data retention settings to one week from 30 days in some places.
- The company tells Axios via email that the changes "come following a year of listening to customers, communities, and civil liberties groups and build on Flock's impact" in aiding about 1 million police investigations last year and helping find about 10,000 missing people.
The other side: In response to Thursday's announcement, DeFlock, a national organization that tracks and advocates against Flock cameras, posted on X: "No guardrails. No regulations. No 'only if they really need to' pinky promises. It's a 4th amendment violation. Full Stop. They are coming down."
- DeFlock also tracks when governments end or reject contracts or deactivate cameras, tallying 23 instances since July.
Yes, but: Even some liberal officials say Flock and similar systems can have benefits.
- Austin, Texas Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, said in May that the tech could have helped police more quickly track down three suspects tied to a citywide shooting spree.
- The city ended its contract with Flock in June 2025.
What we're watching: How Flock keeps responding to the growing pushback.
