Proton, maker of Proton Mail and Proton VPN, has taken over hosting of an interactive map tracking Flock Safety's license plate readers and AI surveillance cameras across the US. The tool was created by security researcher Joshua Michael in September and survived a trademark complaint from Flock demanding its removal. Proton says the map counts over 214,000 Flock devices in service, far above the 120,000 Flock itself reported this summer.
MapQuest has introduced a new map layer in its navigation app that marks the locations of license-plate reading cameras, including those made by Flock Safety. Toggling the layer on shows a red eye icon with a cone indicating the camera's field of view, though the app does not yet offer routes that avoid them. MapQuest has not disclosed how it sourced the camera location data.
An internal audit at the Savannah Police Department flagged nearly 1,000 license-plate-reader searches tied to officer Amber Harpe's account between January and July. Investigators found Harpe had given her username and password to her husband, a Homeland Security ICE agent who lacked his own Flock access, and he told investigators he used it to locate immigration targets with active warrants. The department fired Harpe for violating policy and undermining accountability safeguards meant to track who accesses the surveillance system.
404 Media obtained body camera and in-car footage, along with Flock and Motorola ALPR records, showing Tulsa County deputy Freddie Alaniz searching license plate reader data on a laptop while driving 60 mph, before fully pulling over driver Melissa Kyle. A federal judge had already ruled the Flock search that led to Kyle's arrest an unconstitutional warrantless search and 'indiscriminate mass surveillance,' tossing out evidence of 91 pounds of methamphetamine found in her car. The footage was purchased from a Tulsa courthouse clerk after the court declined to post it online despite it being entered as evidence.
Savannah Police Department fired officer Amber Harpe after an internal investigation found she gave her Flock license-plate reader login to her husband, Tyler Harpe, an ICE agent, violating department security rules against sharing such data with ICE. Using her credentials, he ran 983 searches tied to 97 license plates, most registered to Hispanic drivers, according to local station WJCL. The couple said the searches were for law-enforcement purposes only, not personal use.
A Savannah police officer was terminated after allowing her husband, who works as an ICE agent, to access the department's Flock license-plate reading system through her login credentials. The city of Savannah had not authorized sharing this surveillance data with federal immigration authorities, even though Georgia law may not explicitly prohibit it.
MapQuest has released an app update featuring a new Surveillance Layer that plots the locations of license plate readers from Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions, Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, and several other manufacturers. The company announced the feature on Bluesky, noting that it also shows the direction each camera faces, letting users identify and potentially avoid known automatic license plate recognition devices.
MapQuest has launched a new "Surveillance Layer" that marks locations of automated license plate readers and outdoor surveillance cameras, including devices from Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions, Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon and other manufacturers. The company has not disclosed exactly how it sources the data, though the dataset resembles crowdsourced maps maintained by DeFlock and OpenStreetMap contributors.
MapQuest launched a new 'Surveillance' layer this week that marks the locations of automatic license plate readers from Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions, Genetec, Axon and several other manufacturers. Users can enable it via the app's Layers menu, and tapping a marker reveals the camera type and exact coordinates. The company has not disclosed how it sources this location data.
Several technology companies, including Netflix, HubSpot and Flock Safety, announced workforce reductions in October as part of a continuing wave of layoffs across the sector in 2025. The cuts add to a year already marked by heavy job losses at technology firms.
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley publicly defended his company's automated license-plate reader technology after facing national backlash over privacy and abuse concerns. He acknowledged the system is 'far from perfect' but argued it helps police departments address staffing shortages and improve public safety, claiming millions of people have benefited from it.
Musician and investigative researcher Benn Jordan testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism at a hearing on Flock Safety and other automatic license plate reader systems. The company, which makes ALPR cameras and software, is now under investigation by Sen. Josh Hawley, has seen hundreds of local governments cancel contracts, and reportedly plans to cut about 18 percent of its workforce, according to Reuters. Jordan says he communicates directly with Flock's CEO Garrett Langley and reports security vulnerabilities to the company despite his criticism of its practices.
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