Cities all across the country are jettisoning their contracts with Flock Safety for its automated license plate reader cameras amid rising concerns about privacy and surveillance.
This comes amid a major backlash from American citizens and civil liberties advocates pointing out how the technology can—and has—been used by law enforcement agencies to monitor people without warrants or due process.
Flock Safety is an Atlanta-based company founded in 2017 that manufactures license plate reader cameras that photograph the rear of passing vehicles and use software to read the plates. They also gather information such as color, make, model, and other features.
Law enforcement agencies started rolling out the cameras in the early 2020s. Since then, use of the devices has grown. Police departments install the cameras on poles at key locations and use the data to search for stolen vehicles, track suspects during investigations, recover missing persons, and receive real-time alerts when a vehicle of interest drives by. Flock operates a nationwide network of over 80,000 cameras, according to Business Insider.
The Los Angeles Police Department has decided not to renew its AI powered vehicle tracking contract with Flock Safety due to serious concerns.
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) July 19, 2026
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has chosen to let its agreement with Flock Safety expire. Flock Safety is a leading company… pic.twitter.com/pks5h9gaiw
Law enforcement agencies contend that the cameras aid them in catching criminals. But critics point out that they create a form of mass surveillance that records the ordinary law-abiding motorists who are going about their day. It has raised concerns over how much tracking is acceptable and whether using the cameras amounts to a warrantless search.
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Critics also point to cases where individual police officers have misused the data for their own purposes, including stalking romantic partners.
"My tractor lost control and destroyed a Flock!!!"
— Jason Bassler (@JasonBassler1) July 21, 2026
Flock cameras seem to be experiencing a nationwide surge in “accidents.” Thoughts and prayers. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/6GPakJzS2X
Over 50 municipalities have canceled or rejected Flock Safety contracts, citing practices that went far beyond what cities believed they approved and worries about oversight. Some have also expressed concerns about inaccurate plate reads leading to wrongful stops.
Three notable examples include Los Angeles, Kaukauna, Wisconsin, and Framingham, Massachusetts. LAPD Chief Information Officer Dean Gialamas said, “This contract is not being renewed because of serious concerns around civil liberties and civil rights issues, particularly around privacy and the data that is being collected from these cameras.”
Kaukauna Police Chief Jamie Graff said, “It is not fiscally responsible for the city to continue to invest in the Flock Cameras with the concerns that have been raised and the inability to partner with area communities.
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