- The pack’s backlash is growing, and city officials have begun covering ALPR cameras with garbage bags
- Some cameras are even smashed
- A handful of Flock cameras have been spotted inside speed signs out of sight of motorists
The latest backlash against security firm Flock highlights serious privacy concerns with its Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) systems – and local authorities are taking matters into their own hands.
In an article from 404media, city officials in Verona, Wisconsin have protested Flock’s ubiquitous surveillance cameras by covering them with black bags. The move follows a council vote to remove three cameras from the area, which Flock refused to remove, according to recently exchanged emails.
“We looked at the contract a little bit, talked about it among the staff, and what we felt most comfortable with was just covering them so they could stop spying on people… I’m 100% sure they were still working,” said Luke Diaz, mayor of Verona.
But for some residents, covering Flock’s ALPR systems with garbage bags simply isn’t enough to give them peace of mind — some go the extra mile by smashing Flock’s surveillance cameras, according to an article shared to Reddit.
Just yesterday (July 22), Flock decided to abandon its plans to roll out its ‘human distress detection’ feature beyond the trial period. This tool used Flock’s urban acoustic microphones to record sounds such as human scream and then alerted the local police so they could quickly reach the incident.
Although these detectors are still in place, they can no longer pick up human activity and instead listen for sounds like gunshots or vehicle crashes. For those who have actively fought this, it’s a huge win, but the microphones that remain in place still raise widespread privacy concerns, although Flock says these systems cannot understand or analyze speech.
The people vs the herd
Since Flock’s ALPR systems became a means of public surveillance, the tech company has been met with waves of backlash to the extent that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) launched campaigns against these types of systems – claiming that Flock is “quietly trying to build a nationwide mass surveillance system”.
Public concern has become so heated that some local authorities are pumping the breaks on introducing Flock cameras to certain areas. The LAPD is one of the latest police departments to act on this, making the decision not to renew its contract with the tech company.
However, there are countless cities across the United States that still have these systems in place, and not only are the numbers increasing, the technology is getting smarter. ALPR systems don’t just capture your license plate, they’re designed to identify your vehicle’s make and model, as well as its color and things like dents, scratches and accessories like bumper stickers.
As a result of rapidly advancing technology, drivers have sought ways to avoid areas where these systems are in place – the DeFlock website allows you to plan routes that actively avoid Flock’s cameras. Of course, some local authorities camouflage their Flock ALPR systems to prevent vandalism.
They hide squad cameras now, secret room found in speed radar box pic.twitter.com/4kkeRsKufi22 July 2026
In a video shared with X by @OrwellDay (see above), the user captured footage of what looks like a regular speed display, but revealed a hidden Flock camera located at the back. “Someone did some custom metal fabrication,” they say.
A pretty sneaky tactic, isn’t it? It doesn’t end there, and according to the responses on Reddit, these systems aren’t just hidden inside speed signs. One user claims that ALPR systems are being hidden in fake cacti in some parts of Arizona, making it harder for tools like DeFlock to pinpoint the location of cameras.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid the watchful eye of Flock’s ALPR cameras, but it seems that residents will stop at nothing to find ways to combat the emergence of these countermeasures.
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