GoKawiilCities across the country are adopting -- or rejecting -- Flock Safety surveillance systems, which use controversial AI-powered license plate cameras partnered with local police and other law enforcement. Due to concerns over privacy and how Flock allows data to be used, dozens of cities have cancelled their Flock contracts this year. Bend, Oregon, was one of them, but only after passionate city council meetings. Some towns have even had to cover Flock cameras with plastic bags because they aren't sure if the cams are shut down.
But what does it mean when Flock comes to town, and what exactly does its technology do? The answers are complex -- and incredibly important for the future of surveillance in the US.
Read more: State Laws Against Surveillance and License Plate Cams
Flock gripped news headlines late last year when it was under the microscope during widespread crackdowns by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Though Flock doesn't have a direct partnership with federal agencies (a blurry line I'll discuss below), law enforcement agencies are free to share data with departments like ICE, and they frequently do.
One study from the Center for Human Rights at the University of Washington found that at least eight Washington law enforcement agencies shared their Flock data networks directly with ICE in 2025, and 10 more departments allowed ICE backdoor access without explicitly granting the agency permission. Many other reports outline similar activity.
Following Super Bowl ads about finding lost dogs, Flock was under scrutiny about its planned partnership with Ring, Amazon's security brand. The integration would have allowed police to request the use of Ring-brand home security cameras for investigations. Following intense public backlash, Ring cut ties with Flock just like my city did, although it now faces a new lawsuit for its own face recognition systems.
To learn more, I spoke to Flock about how the company's surveillance technology is used (and misused). I also spoke with privacy advocates from the American Civil Liberties Union to discuss surveillance concerns and what communities are doing about it.
What it means when Flock Safety sets up
Flock's presence means license plate cameras -- and these days, much more. Bloomberg/Contributor/Getty Images
If you hear that Flock is setting up near you, it usually means the installation of ALPR cameras to capture license plate photos and monitor cars on the street.
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