GoKawiilHackers dump Flock Safety camera's internal data, exposing surveillance details
Hackers physically removed a Flock Safety license plate reader from a roadway, extracted an encryption key from its storage, and shared the recovered files with 404 Media and WIRED. The data showed the device's software identifies not just vehicles and plates but also people, bicycles, and even small details like bumper stickers, generating over a million images in just weeks of logs.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The breach undercuts Flock's claims that its devices are secured by strong on-device encryption, raising fresh privacy concerns about how much personal data these widespread surveillance cameras actually collect and how exposed that data could be. It also signals escalating public backlash against automated license plate readers, with some communities dropping Flock entirely amid vandalism and now hacking incidents.
- Hackers extracted an encryption key from a physically removed Flock camera, unlocking thousands of vehicle detection videos.
- Recovered data reveals the camera's software detects people, bicycles, and fine details like bumper stickers, not just license plates.
- Growing public resistance to Flock cameras includes vandalism, arrests, and some towns abandoning the technology altogether.
Source: arstechnica.com, 2026-09-17
Published there as: “Hackers reveal how Flock cameras really track cars and people”
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