GoKawiilHundreds of cities across the US had adopted a now-familiar brand: Flock Safety surveillance systems, using controversial, AI license plate detection cameras and broad contracts with local police. Now cities, from my home of Bend, Oregon, to the LAPD in Los Angeles, are canceling their Flock contracts, while other towns are even covering Flock cameras with plastic bags while trying to figure out if the cams are actually shut down.
So, what does it mean when you spot the first camera-and-solar-panel Flock setup in your own neighborhood? I talked to Flock, the American Civil Liberties Union and others about what you need to know.
Read more: State Laws Against Surveillance and License Plate Cams
Flock made headlines late last year during widespread crackdowns by US 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. And Flock Safety coverage, along with citizen concerns, has only risen since then.
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 ACLU 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/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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