Deflock Williamsburg @Deflock Williamsburg

What is Flock?

Flock Group, Inc provides automated license plate readers to police departments across the nation. These cameras are spread across high-traffic junctions and capture millions of photographs of cars as they drive around.

Why is Flock bad?

Everywhere you drive is being tracked in a police database with little to no oversight and a huge amount of data sharing. Whether going to get sensitive medical treatment, or participating in local democracy, your movement habits are tracked, recorded, and analyzed, accessible to Flock's vast data-sharing network. Within Virginia, these logs are searchable by any Virginia police officer, no matter the reasoning - there's been dozens of examples of password-sharing, which can enable stalking or silence of political dissent.

This warrantless mass surveillance is bad for privacy, liberty, and democracy.

Some articles:

  • Flock Safety, Inc uses overseas gig workers in the Phillipines to build out their surveillance AI. Photographs and videos of you and your family, annotating and categorizing vehicle makes, colors, types, "audio tasks" like screaming or crying, and even race. Source
  • Flock Safety, Inc had logins exposed in malware infections, triggering calls for an FTC investigation. Source
  • ICE, Secret Service, Navy All Had Access to Flock's Nationwide Network of Cameras. Source
  • Flock Safety, Inc violated state law by allowing federal officers to access ALPR data. Source
  • Flock Cameras illegally used for immigration enforcement by ATF officials in Richmond, VA. Source
  • Flock Cameras illegally used for immigration inforcement across Fairfax, Chesterfield, Isle of Wight, Loudoun and Stafford, VA. Source
  • Research showed that Flock's cameras misread 1 in 10 plates scanned. Source
  • There have been many cases of Flock camera readings mistakenly reading plates, leading to families being held at gunpoint on the asphalt by police. This is rarely rectified and leads to costly settlements.

How bad is Flock in Williamsburg, VA?

Very bad. The worst in any other county in Virginia by a wide margin. See some stats below on how many homes cannot reach each amenity type without crossing at least one Flock camera (source: ALPRAnalysis.com)

What can I do about it?

You can reach out to your local Williamsburg City Council to voice your disapproval for this surveillance method.

Click the button below to write an email to the relevant parties. Simply add your name and address to the first line, and click send.

Draft email to councilpeople