Brian Merchant, writing for Blood in the Machine, reports that people across the country are dismantling and destroying surveillance cameras on the Flock amid growing public outrage that license plate readers are aiding U.S. immigration authorities and deportations.
Flock, an Atlanta-based surveillance startup valued at $7.5 billion a year ago, is a maker of license plate readers. The company has faced criticism for giving federal authorities access to its extensive network of license plate readers and databases nationwide, as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increasingly relied on data for community raids as part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
Flock cameras allow authorities to track where and when people go by taking photos of license plates from thousands of cameras installed across the United States. Although Flock claims it does not directly share data with ICE, reports indicate that local police departments are sharing independent access to Flock cameras and their databases with federal authorities.
Some communities are calling on the city to terminate its contract with Flock, while others are taking matters into their own hands.
Merchants are reporting instances of flock cameras being broken or vandalized in La Mesa, California, just weeks after the City Council approved the continuation of flock cameras in the city, despite a clear majority of those in attendance supporting their closure. Local reports said there was strong opposition to the surveillance technology, with residents voicing privacy concerns.
Other incidents of vandalism have spread from California and Connecticut to Illinois and Virginia. In Oregon, six license plate cameras installed on utility poles were cut down and at least one was spray-painted. Merchant reported that a note left at the base of the downed telephone pole read, “Hahaha, get beat up, you surveillance bastards.”
According to DeFlock, a project aimed at mapping license plate readers, there are nearly 80,000 cameras installed across the United States. Dozens of cities have so far refused to use Flock's cameras, and some police departments have since blocked federal authorities from using the resources.
Flock did not respond to requests for comment.