DeFlock SF
Information about flock surveillance in San Francisco
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What is Flock?
Flock is a brand of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) that has spread all over the US in the last few years. In total it is estimated that there are around 100,000 cameras which in total scan 20 billion license plates per month. What makes Flock different then many other ALPR companies is how they share data. Flock automatically shares camera data with other police departments, allowing them to search for license plates across the country.
Why is Flock a problem?
Poor Security
Flock safety devices have been proven to be insecure and subject to dozens of security exploits. Flock denies this is an issue stating that "vulnerabilities would not only require physical access to a device, but also require intimate knowledge of internal device hardware" while YouTuber and researcher Benn Jordan said "It's extraordinarily easy, like 12-year-olds could do it".
Privacy Issues
Flock violates citizens fourth amendment right to privacy. It indiscriminantly citizens regardless of their involvement in active investigations. It is practically impossible to drive around the city without your every move being tracked by this AI system.
False Identification
Officers have acted on faulty warrant identifications by flock cameras, putting innocent citizens in danger. For example, a man was falsely arrested in Seattle when his car was flagged by a flock camera because his son (who has the same name) had a felony warrant.
Cooperation with ICE
From April 2024 to early 2025 SFPD illegally (State law prohibits out of state sharing) shared camera access with police departments in Georgia and Texas who assisted in immigrations enforcement. SFPD data was accessed in searches such as "Ice Fugitive" and "Assist ICE" by the aforementioned police departments. Read more on SF Standard.