3.0 KiB
Q: Does the camera data get sold? A: Flock states that they do not sell the information they capture. What they do instead is capture it, then sell access to the software that contains it. DeFlock (like you) has reasonable questions and concerns about this, given Flock's integration with data brokers and their rapidly changing terms and conditions around data policy. You can read more here: https://haveibeenflocked.com/news/terms-feb2026
Q: I think you're Flock (or a Flock affiliate) — you're the ones running these cameras / collecting data on me or my car / please delete my data. A: We are DeFlock, a privacy-advocacy project pushing back against these cameras — we're not Flock, and we're not affiliated with them. DeFlock doesn't operate any cameras and doesn't collect, store, process, or access any information about you or your vehicle (or anyone else's). We don't even run our own user registry or database for the map; everything comes from crowdsourced OpenStreetMap data. The company that actually operates these cameras and holds that data is Flock Safety: https://www.flocksafety.com. If you specifically want your data deleted, we can't guarantee they'll honor the request, but you could try support@flocksafety.com or privacy@flocksafety.com.
Q: How do I keep from being tracked by these cameras? A: Unfortunately, physical plate covers and films are illegal in most jurisdictions. Flock also uses vehicle fingerprinting (make, model, stickers, dents) to identify your car, so obscuring just your plate doesn't help much anyway. IR blocking/reflection is similarly ineffective and can actually make your vehicle more identifiable, since instead of being identified by plate you light up distinctly in the camera's IR image.
The most effective legal countermeasures are civic action and route avoidance: use the free DeFlock app to see camera locations and plan alternate routes, or push at city council meetings for restrictions on data sharing and retention. Happy to help with the app or with getting involved if you want to push back on this locally.
Q: A camera looks deactivated/covered — can I trust that it's actually off? A: Worth checking: is it black-bagged or covered in some way? There have been cases of Flock reinstalling and reactivating cameras without notifying the city/contract holder:
- https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/cities-fighting-back-against-law-011500912.html
- https://lookouteugene-springfield.com/story/latest-news/2025/12/09/flock-activated-camera-during-pause-chief-says-pushing-city-to-axe-contract/
If a camera really is non-functional, asking the city/property owner to physically cover it can help make that verifiable.
Q: When did this camera physically get installed? A: We're unfortunately not able to say with certainty when a specific camera was physically installed — only that it was probably before the date it was submitted to OSM. (See the "reporting and fixing map entries" doc if you're looking for the date it was logged on the map, which we can pull up.)