A wave of anti-surveillance vigilantism is sweeping American activists. From San Diego to Virginia, concerned citizens are campaigning against Flock Safety, an automated license plate reader (ALPR) camera used by more than 6,000 local communities to identify and track vehicles and their drivers, according to a February 2026 report from author Brian Merchant’s journalism project Blood in the Machine. From petitioning lawmakers to physically vandalizing traffic cameras, locals are fighting back against the entrenched mass surveillance networks surrounding them.
This comes after Flock’s partnership with smart doorbell provider Ring collapsed after an ill-advised Super Bowl ad sparked public backlash. But critics say Flock’s abuses were more serious than a failed marketing campaign. Notably, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement used Flock’s data in its controversial crackdown. Abuse by local authorities has further fanned the flames of anti-surveillance and raised questions about citizens’ Fourth Amendment rights. Meanwhile, supporters praise the company’s cameras and AI smart systems as effective public safety tools.
Some cities have responded by canceling contracts with the embattled company, while others have barred federal authorities from accessing their data or implemented privacy guardrails to ensure it is used responsibly. In other cases, however, local law enforcement actively shares data with federal authorities. In particular, Flock’s “National Lookup” tool enabled out-of-state immigration searches, circumventing legal restrictions and sparking backlash. To its credit, Flock has put safeguards in place to address these issues. However, campaigners argue that the company’s business model, which requires a nationwide interconnection network, has led to these abuses. Overall, this ongoing battle strikes at the heart of the privacy debate in the United States, as AI technology continues to revolutionize military, intelligence, and law enforcement operations.
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Does Flock bring security or controversy?
Flock automatic license plate reader located on top of a black pole in front of the tree canopy – Flock Safety
Flock Safety, which will be worth $7.5 billion by 2025, is positioning itself as an important public safety tool used by police forces to “eliminate crime.” According to a study published by the company, Flock “helps solve 10% of reported crimes in the United States.” Notably, the accuracy of such claims has been heavily criticized, including by the company’s own researchers. Although there are questions about the effectiveness of Flock’s products in reducing crime, they remain extremely popular. Flock has more than 12,000 clients and claims high-profile public safety victories, including taking down a human trafficking ring and solving a high-profile jewelry heist.
Flock’s artificial intelligence license plate readers are typically deployed on street corners or police vehicles and are currently used by more than 5,000 U.S. law enforcement agencies. That success has spurred the Atlanta company to expand beyond its original mission and launch a diverse product line of cameras, drones and software powered by artificial intelligence. The company continues to add new features to its cameras to “fingerprint” vehicles and indiscriminately map the driver’s movements. For example, the company’s Condor camera can “detect and track people,” according to the company’s website. A feature of Flock’s gunshot-detecting microphone Raven adds “distress” signals, such as “screams,” to its alarm system (via EFF). The market is increasingly targeting non-first responders, including businesses, community groups and individuals, billing itself as “the largest public-private safety network.”
Critics warned that Flock created a massive surveillance network that was increasingly weaponized by federal authorities and local law enforcement. Even before ICE’s controversial use of it, activists decried Flock’s system as being abused. To date, the company’s technology has been used to identify activists, track abortion visits, track women, and enhance racial profiling. Security concerns further compounded privacy concerns after activists discovered that Flock had inadvertently leaked live camera footage to the internet.
Reduce surveillance
Anti-Flock activists create hilarious “Don’t Cut Here” posters warning citizens that destroying Flock cameras could render them “unable to monitor current locations and populations” – KLobStar/X
The criticism reached its peak when a series of investigations revealed that ICE agents weaponized Flock to enforce its deportation policies. For example, a report from 404 Media found that Flock’s finder helped at least 4,000 immigration-related searches between President Trump’s inauguration and May 2025. Crucially, ICE uses Flock’s Nationwide Lookup platform to access data from states that prohibit law enforcement from cooperating with the agency. An investigation by The 74 found that ICE even turned school district cameras toward student homes. While Flock denies having any ICE contract, the company acknowledged it had been working on a pilot program with federal immigration authorities before canceling it. Ultimately, the company claims its customers are responsible for their data. In August 2025, Senate records showed that 75% of law enforcement clients were enrolled in Flock’s national database.
Citizens have taken matters into their own hands. Protesters have removed Flock cameras in at least five states following public outcry, Merchant reports. In Virginia, an activist reportedly destroyed at least 13 Flock cameras. In Oregon, citizens replaced slashed cameras with expletive-laden notes. Others are herding their license plates, prompting Florida lawmakers to ban license plate barriers.
Some cities have withdrawn their relationships with Flock. According to DeFlock, an open source project mapping ALPR, at least 50 cities have canceled partnerships with Flock, deactivated cameras, or rejected measures to add the controversial technology. However, this pales in comparison to Flock’s growing client list. To date, DeFlock has counted nearly 80,000 ALPRs across the United States. Whether the backlash will lead to the rejection of surveillance platforms, or their fading away amid their relentless adoption, will likely remain a hot question. For some, the battle starts with the privacy settings of their smart products. For others, it obviously involves visiting the local street corner with a saw.
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