A recent Family Handyman article reported on a growing backlash against Flock cameras, which are Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) manufactured by the company Flock Safety. They are marketed as crime-fighting tools that can, among other things, help authorities track down stolen vehicles. The reason for the backlash is that Flock cameras have the potential to be used as privacy-infringing surveillance tools.
“From a data perspective,” says security expert Aimee Simpson, “a record of these cameras could map out someone’s entire life. When they go to work, the route they take, if they go to the gym, what super market they go to, where their friends live, etc. Having that extensive travel history is a little unnerving without full transparency about what that data is used for and where it’s stored (and who can access it).”
With the help of Texas attorney Kevin Henrichson, who specializes in commercial vehicle and car accidents, this article explains where to look for Flock cameras, how to recognize one when you see it, and what information it records and stores.
What Does a Flock Camera Look Like?
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A Flock camera is a small black or dark gray box mounted on a thin pole shorter than a regular streetlight. In some cases, it could be mounted midway up a streetlight or traffic light pole. “The most distinctive feature,” says Henrichson, “is the small solar panel installed right above the unit. Red light and speed cameras rarely have that feature.”
Where Are Flock Cameras Usually Installed?
Municipalities, HOAs and private business, like retailers and apartment complexes, typically erect these cameras at the entrances and exits of neighborhoods and along roads that have high crime and accident rates. Because anyone can install a Flock camera, some intersections may have several, says Henrichson, each belonging to a different organization.
Flock cameras are also increasingly common in parking lots. Large retail outlets, like Home Depot and Lowe’s, employ them in selected locations to record the entry and exit of every vehicle and log the times. Churches, schools and apartment complexes also deploy them for security.
How Are Flock Cameras Different From Regular Traffic Cameras?
Henrichson explains: “Red light and speed cameras activate only when the violation happens, and their sole purpose is issuing the ticket. Flock cameras log every vehicle that passes by, and the data is never used for citations. It’s used for searching the footage against watchlists or for a particular investigation.”
What Information Do Flock Cameras Collect?
In theory, Flock cameras are only supposed to only record data visible on license plates. In practice, they can collect much more, including the make, model, color and condition of the vehicle.
“The system is designed to identify the vehicle, not the person who is driving it,’ says Henrichson, but if any occupants are visible to the cameras, it could potentially record identifying features such as race, hair color, tattoos and clothing style. According to the ACLU, the cameras also record heat. They can generate a heat map that helps authorities track the movements of vehicles of interest.
Who Can Access Flock Camera Data?
This is the $64,000 question. The data collected by Flock cameras goes into a database controlled by the owners of the cameras, and they are the only ones with the legal right to access it. “Most people think that once the footage exists, it’s easy to access,” says Henrichson. “But each agency determines their own access and retention policies. My team spends a lot of time requesting information like this, but there is no guarantee it will be obtained.”
There’s also no guarantee that leaks, data breaches or cooperative sharing with third parties won’t occur. As Simpson explains: “If Flock aggregates this data, it could be extremely valuable in the wrong hands, both making Flock a target for hackers and for third-party agencies to try to buy data from.”
Can You Find Out Where Flock Cameras Are Located?
Henrichson says that some agencies run transparency portals that may include locations, “but there are no standards. Availability of this information relies on whether the agency or property owner wants to release it.”
DeFlock.org publishes a crowdsourced database of Flock ALPR locations throughout the U.S. As of August, 2026, it had identified 133,729 such locations.
FAQ
What do Flock cameras look for?
Each camera records the license plate, description of the vehicle, time and date. “Every read is compared against watchlists: Stolen vehicles, wanted plates, Amber and Silver Alerts,” according to Henrichson.
Do Flock cameras take pictures of drivers?
No. You’re thinking of red light and speed cameras. A Flock camera captures only the rear of the vehicle and the plate. It is not equipped with facial recognition technology.
Can Flock cameras track your car?
Yes. Each read goes into a database to be potentially compared with other captures of the same vehicle. Anyone searching this database can obtain a record of the vehicle’s movements over time.
How long do Flock cameras keep your data?
“Things are changing as we speak,” says Henrichson. “Flock has reduced the default retention period from 30 to seven days. However, that’s just a default which can be changed by each user or agency; they each have their own policy regarding the length of time the data will be retained. Some of them keep the data for much longer than others. For example, the city of Dallas keeps a whole year of data.”
About the Experts
- Kevin Henrichson is a Board-Certified personal injury attorney with 25 years experience. He is a partner in Byrd Davis Alden & Henrichson, LLP, the oldest personal injury law firm in Austin, Texas.
- Aimee Simpson has years of experience in the security industry—including areas such as identity security, insider risk management, insider threat, data loss prevention, and security awareness programs. She is the Director of Product Marketing at Huntress.
Sources
- American Civil Liberties Union: Flock Safety Credibility Lost as it Repeatedly Lies to City Councils, Police Departments, and Public Across the Country; (2026)
- DeFlock.org: Welcome to DeFlock; (2026)
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