The fight over Flock and other ALPRs

There are over 120,000 of Flock’s automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras installed all over the US. Flock’s cameras, and others like them, use AI to identify and track vehicles based on their license plate number, make, model, color, and other info, networked together to track vehicles and people’s movements throughout the day and across the country.

Dozens of communities have canceled contracts for the cameras or turned them off, including Los Angeles, as officials have pushed for more limits on the data they collect, who has access to it, and how it can be used in the future. Earlier this year, Amazon-owned Ring canceled a partnership with Flock after online backlash.

• Flock CEO: ‘We got this one wrong’
• Flock cameras? Target practice.
• Another grim portent for our AI policing future.
• The LAPD has suspended its use of Flock’s license plate readers, for now.
• No, Flock isn’t threatening people for debating surveillance
• The all-too-predictable Flock stalking problem.
• Let’s talk about Ring, lost dogs, and the surveillance state
• Ring’s Flock breakup doesn’t fix its real problem
• Flock is “pausing further exploration of a potential partnership with Ring.”
• Ring cancels its partnership with Flock Safety after surveillance backlash
• Dozens of Flock AI camera feeds were just out there
• AI annotators overseas may be reviewing Flock license plate camera footage from the US.
• Amazon’s Ring now works with video surveillance company Flock
• Unprotected license plate surveillance cameras let anyone with a web browser tune in