Flock’s ever-growing network of automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, is sparking controversy across the country, but a new open source tool has been released to help you identify and avoid these cameras. Currently used in many cities, these systems collect data on millions of drivers and their vehicles, whether or not they have anything to do with a crime. Deflock is an app that maps all Flock ALPR locations with help from the community, allowing you to stay informed of the precise locations and plan your routes accordingly to avoid them.
If you drive in front of a Flock camera, it can capture and store information like your vehicle’s make, model, color, current location, date, or time, but it can also record identifiable vehicle features or features like dents, custom add-ons, or even bumper stickers. Over time, it’s not hard to imagine these data points being used to track a person’s movements or being gathered into larger data sets to create an incredibly accurate profile of your lifestyle. For this reason, it is not difficult to understand why some communities do not want possible excessive expansion in their hometowns, but nevertheless, facilities still appear. In addition to ALPRs, COWs or “scarecrow” surveillance towers are spreading rapidly.
Why would you want to avoid Flock installations?
By Flock’s own estimates, its surveillance technologies, namely license plate readers, now monitor more than 49 U.S. states, serve more than 5,000 communities, and provide more than 20 billion plate reads per month. They also connect more than 4,800 law enforcement agencies with shared data between them. Flock maintains that it is not involved in “mass surveillance,” but it has made headlines for some of its more troubling use cases. People just don’t like the idea of widespread surveillance, and they don’t agree with what’s being done with the resulting data, including the destruction of Flock’s traffic cameras in a wave of anti-surveillance vigilantism. Flock even had to remove cameras from several cities because “public trust was under strain,” while smart home company Ring was forced to cancel a Flock security partnership after public boycotts and backlash against surveillance.
Although the company says license plate numbers and vehicle information are not personal in nature, they may still be linked to you since you legally own the vehicle. Everything the cameras capture or record is actually shared with law enforcement and managed through AI detection tools. There are many examples of this data being used unethically. Additionally, Flock cameras track more than license plates, and the company has begun using newer technology, including drones with high-powered cameras. Flock claims its solutions can be used to locate criminals and can help solve approximately 700,000 crimes per year.
How to Use Deflock to Avoid ALPRs and AI Cameras
To search for cameras in your area or on a route you’re planning to take, simply head to Deflock, click Launch Map, and locate the road, area, or city as you would any other navigation map. You can use the search bar at the top to search for more specific addresses or locations, searching for cities, zip codes, or street addresses. After finding an area and zooming in on the clusters, you can click on each individual location on the map to view ALPR information. A pop-up map will show you who installed the technology, what its purpose or “zone” is, how it is mounted and its exact GPS coordinates. You can also click OpenStreetMap to see an up-to-date view of the street showing where it is located, which can also help you discern which direction it is pointing and where it might capture images.
Deflock is also a great general resource for learning about surveillance technologies. An entire section is dedicated to informing people about how they work and why they might be questionable. You can also follow related news about mass surveillance events via the News section, which takes you to Footnote4a. If you are curious about what data Flock installations have already collected about you, you can use Have I Been Flocked? to enter your license plate information and see what information has been collected about you and your vehicle.
