Key facts
- Flock Safety proposed a plan to utilize dashcams from Nexar, installed in approximately 350,000 Uber, Lyft, and delivery vehicles, to scan license plates.
- The company claims this partnership with Nexar was never executed.
- Flock's standard product involves fixed cameras that record passing vehicles' license plates, make, and model.
- The proposed expansion aimed to create a real-time, region-wide license plate tracking system using civilian vehicles.
- Flock faces increasing scrutiny, including the LAPD's decision not to renew its contract due to privacy concerns.
- Legal challenges and legislative actions are targeting automated license-plate recognition (ALPR) technology.
Flock Safety, a controversial vendor for law enforcement technology, had plans to leverage hundreds of thousands of ride-sharing and delivery vehicles to create a nationwide license-plate scanning network. A presentation obtained by 404 Media revealed Flock's intention to partner with Nexar, a company with dashcams already installed in approximately 350,000 vehicles, to capture license plates on the move.
This initiative, which Flock states was never executed, would have transformed civilian vehicles into mobile surveillance units, extending the reach of Flock's stationary cameras. Unlike its current pole-mounted cameras that log passing vehicles, the Nexar integration would have enabled real-time tracking across entire regions, filling gaps between fixed surveillance points. Similar mobile ALPR systems are already used by police cruisers and repossession agents.
The proposal comes at a time when Flock faces significant backlash and regulatory pressure. The Los Angeles Police Department recently let its contract with Flock expire, citing serious concerns about civil liberties and privacy. Furthermore, numerous cases of alleged abuse of Flock's license-plate data by law enforcement officers have been documented, leading to resignations and arrests.
Beyond local contract expirations, broader legislative and legal challenges are mounting. Advocacy groups like EPIC are calling for outright bans on automatic license-plate readers (ALPR). States such as Washington have enacted restrictions on ALPR use, while California is considering legislation to limit data sharing. A proposed House bill aims to require warrants for government AI surveillance, and a federal judge has allowed a lawsuit alleging Flock cameras violate Fourth Amendment rights to proceed, referencing the Supreme Court's ruling on warrantless tracking.