An increasing number of jurisdictions are terminating contracts with Flock Safety, a commercial surveillance firm, amid community protests and allegations of police misuse of its automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology. This trend has accelerated recently, with state governments in Texas and Florida imposing significant restrictions on Flock Safety's use in the past two weeks.
According to an analysis by the digital rights nonprofit Secure Justice, more than 90 cities and counties nationwide ended Flock contracts in August alone. Since 2021, Secure Justice has tracked over 200 municipal contract terminations with the company.
In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis publicly criticized ALPRs on August 31, stating they infringe on citizens' privacy. Following his comments, the Florida Department of Transportation announced a ban on all ALPRs, including those from Flock Safety, on state highways. Several Florida sheriffs have since ended their Flock contracts, with some discontinuing the use of Flock cameras entirely, not just on state roads.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an order on August 28 prohibiting state agencies from using public funds for Flock cameras. This decision followed a report that a state agency had covertly diverted $30 million from a car insurance tax to finance a large network of Flock cameras. Texas has also seen a police officer in Lufkin indicted on 100 felony charges for misusing Flock information, with other criminal investigations reportedly underway in different communities. El Paso and several smaller Texas cities and counties have terminated their Flock contracts since Abbott's order.
In Los Angeles, the Police Department (LAPD) announced in July that it would not renew its contract with Flock Safety, citing objections to contract terms that granted the company ownership of collected data. This decision followed a city inspector general's audit that alleged the department investigated 161 car owners whose vehicles were mistakenly flagged as stolen by Flock in a two-month period. The LAPD also expressed concerns about privacy and data protection, particularly regarding data ownership and handling. The department continues negotiations with Flock, and no new agreement has been reached. In July, the Board of Police Commissioners voted to require public input and a commission vote for approval of any new ALPR contracts.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens ordered a 30-day review of Flock cameras and their citywide usage on August 17. This review will examine system use, compliance, policies, and potential corrective actions or policy strengthening. The order came after reports of police misuse of the surveillance system, including by eight officers in DeKalb County, which encompasses part of Atlanta. The Atlanta metropolitan area is estimated to have approximately 5,000 ALPR cameras in operation. Hundreds of protestors gathered in Atlanta in mid-August to demonstrate outside Flock Safety's annual conference, with the privacy watchdog DeFlock reporting plans for 30 protests across Georgia during the conference week. There have also been reports of residents destroying Flock cameras in the metro Atlanta area.
Beyond these major cities and states, other jurisdictions have also ended contracts. Austin, Texas; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Eugene, Oregon, had previously terminated their agreements with Flock Safety. Experts suggest that the growing opposition to these technologies is driven by concerns about surveillance capabilities and the lack of fundamental safeguards.
