Flock's 80,000 AI-Powered Surveillance Cameras Can Find Your Car Even If You Don't Have A License Plate

If you aren't mad about Flock cameras, then I don't know how to help you, but maybe this little nugget of information can convince you to dislike being under constant surveillance and having your every move tracked by an AI-based tech startup. Flock cameras are technically classified as Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs), which are used by law enforcement to build a database of every car that passes one of the company's 80,000 cameras across 49 states. In a shocking turn of events that nobody could've ever foreseen, however, these constantly operational cameras capture and analyze more than just license plates.

The cameras also build what's called a "Vehicle Fingerprint" according to Flock, which includes a car's make, body type, any defining decals, bumper stickers, and roof racks to identify cars "even when you don't have full plate information." Flock's surveillance cameras also have "convoy analysis" which uses AI and machine learning to flag vehicles that frequently travel together to 'help police identify associates or potential accomplices in a crime ring.' This comes from The News & Observer which reviewed the product presentation that Flock gave to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to convince the department that it needs tax payer money to buy Flock's surveillance cameras and AI software. 

Shockingly, police officers who have access to the live surveillance feeds provided by the Flock cameras aren't always using them for their intended purpose. The footage captured by these cameras is kept in a private national database that is available to police officers across the country, allowing them to track vehicles regardless of where in the country they are. It's recently surfaced that more than a dozen police officers have illegally tapped into Flock's database to obsessively track and stalk people including ex romantic partners, even their ex-partner's parents. 

We've covered the various dystopian ways that Flock and its cameras have made headlines before, but the more we learn the more angry we get. This includes entities using Flock license plate readers to track out-of-state travel for people trying to find access to safe abortions, and tracking people and turning them over to immigration enforcement. 

You can run but you can't hide from Flock (unless someone from the city tapes a trash bag over the camera, that is), but this is the best reason yet to drive a boring, common car with no identifiable markings. At least most Camry drivers should be fine.