+ Just because you're not doing anything wrong today doesn't mean you won't be watched tomorrow. License plate cameras like Flock don't know your intentions—only your movements. A trip to a protest, a friend's house in a “high-crime” area, or even a misread plate can flag you as “suspicious.” +
++ As history has shown, when governments or third parties gain unchecked surveillance powers, they're eventually used against people who weren't doing anything wrong—until someone decided they were. For example, until early in 2025, ALPRs weren't used for tracking immigrants, legal or otherwise, but now they are, despite policies prohibiting it. +
+ ++ Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) are not always accurate. People have been pulled over at gunpoint, arrested, or detained because a camera misread a plate or flagged the wrong car. +
++ If you “have nothing to hide,” you also have nothing to correct the record with when a machine error points the finger at you. +
+ ++ No, ALPRs record all vehicles that pass by, not just those involved in crimes. They capture license plates, unique identifying features, locations, dates, and times of every vehicle, regardless of whether the driver is suspected of wrongdoing. This means that even if you're not doing anything wrong, your movements are still being tracked and stored, often for long periods of time. +
++ Additionally, the data collected by ALPRs can be shared with other law enforcement agencies and third parties, further extending the reach of this surveillance. This raises significant privacy concerns, as most individuals are not aware that their movements are being monitored and recorded. +
++ No, police do not need a warrant to search these cameras. The data collected by ALPRs is owned by the police department, and law enforcement agencies can access it without a warrant. There is often no oversight at all on how these searches are conducted, raising concerns about their constitutionality under the Fourth Amendment. +
++ Some agencies have implemented agency-wide ALPR policies, but these policies are meaningless, as most agencies have opted into an extensive data sharing network that allows other agencies to access their data without the same restrictions, with tens of thousands of national searches occurring on a daily basis. +
++ There is little to no oversight for these systems. While some police departments have implemented policies regarding the use of ALPRs, these policies are often weak and poorly enforced. Many agencies do not have any policies at all, and there is no requirement for transparency or accountability in how these systems are used. +
++ While Flock Safety offers a transparency portal for their law enforcement customers, they allow their customers to cherry-pick what information is included or excluded from the portal. They also lack any meaningful data, often underreporting the number of agencies with access. Many activists believe the hotlist hits section is inflated to make it appear that the cameras are more effective than they actually are. +
++ Several cities in the US have killed contracts for ALPRs, such as Denver and Austin. An effective strategy is to raise concerns in your community, build a group of advocates, and petition the city council not to extend the contract. This can be done through public comment at meetings and is most effective when there is a large enough group of concerned residents. +
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- We're working on an easier method for reporting ALPRs that will allow you to submit them with just one click. Stay tuned for updates! -
-Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) are cameras that capture images of all passing license plates, storing details like the car's location, date, and time. These cameras collect data on millions of vehicles—regardless of whether the driver is suspected of a crime. While these systems can be useful for tracking stolen cars or wanted individuals, they are mostly used to track the movements of innocent people.
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