More and more Flock cameras are popping up across the country, and citizens concerned with a growing surveillance presence are creating websites to help keep their neighbors informed.
Open-source websites like DeFlock and Eyes On Flock allow online users to track where Flock and other automated license plate readers are installed throughout the United States and how this information is being used by organizations that install them.
Specifically, DeFlock operates an interactive map that depicts installed cameras, while Eyes On Flock allows users to see what organizations are searching Flock’s database to pull license plate information — and why. Another website, Have I Been Flocked?, allows online users to enter license plate numbers to see if they have been captured by any automated license plate readers.
What Are Flock Cameras and Why Are They Controversial?
Flock is one brand of automated license plate readers, manufactured by Flock Safety. Automated license plate readers, also manufactured by companies like Motorola Solutions and Genetec, can capture a vehicle’s license plate number, make, model, color and other identifying features, such as bumper stickers and body damage.
Local law enforcement, municipalities and private entities, such as homeowners and businesses, install the cameras because they say the technology deters crime and helps catch criminals.
Flock Safety provides law enforcement access to a searchable, nationwide database. The company and its supporters say the system has helped police locate missing people, recover stolen vehicles and track down suspects, including in high-profile crimes such as the 2025 mass shooting at Brown University.
Critics call the cameras a privacy nightmare, with some arguing that they breach the Fourth Amendment, which protects U.S. citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. In some areas, opposition has escalated into vandalism.
Automated license plate readers have been shot at in Tennessee, hit with a truck in California, beaten with a baseball bat in Virginia, cut down with a saw in Texas, splattered with paint in New York and regularly blocked by a lone protester in Florida.
Flock Safety did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on the community-led websites, contacted Aug. 10. The company previously told USA TODAY it does not condemn vandalism toward its equipment. Its spokesperson, Paris Lewbel, said: “People have every right to make their voices heard, but criminal acts should never be part of that process. Damaging public safety equipment ultimately hurts the very communities this technology is there to help protect.”
How Many Flock Cameras Are There in the United States?
As of June 25, Flock Safety reported operating more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states. DeFlock reported more than 127,000 automated license plate readers — not just Flock cameras — on Aug. 10.
How to Check for Flock Cameras Near You
DeFlock, a volunteer-led organization, operates an interactive map showing where automated license plate readers are installed throughout the United States. Several city-specific DeFlock websites have appeared since the organization’s start in 2024. Local groups manage these sites, and anyone can submit a newly spotted automated license plate reader.
FlockHopper: Powered by DeFlock’s data, FlockHopper helps users plan road trips that avoid as many automated license plate readers as possible. Users can enter start and end points. The website and an app for Apple devices show how many automated license plate readers a route passes and offer a route that avoids the most cameras, though it tends to be longer than a direct route.
Have I Been Flocked?: This website allows users to search their license plate number to see whether it has been picked up by an automated license plate reader. The searchable data comes from Flock Transparency Portals and public-records requests submitted by volunteers. Anyone can submit public-records requests with information about automated license plate readers to the site.
What Are Flock Transparency Portals?
Entities that partner with Flock may create a Flock Transparency Portal, a public-facing search audit. The portal automatically pulls information from the entity and Flock Safety, allowing community members to see how many cameras the entity manages, how many vehicles have been detected over a 30-day period, which networks or other entities receive shared data, and how the entity uses the cameras. Entities are not required to manage a transparency portal.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Unlimited Use. Reporting by Greta Cross and N’dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY / USA TODAY Unlimited Use. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.
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