A Flock of Cameras
By Naomi Imai and Amelia Vaz Sep. 23, 2026
Instagrammer ‘NoMark’ lurks in the darkness behind the bushes of a Flock Camera, his face obscured by a black mask. When the opportunity appears, he strikes, climbing up the black pole to tape over the camera lens and snip the power wires. Not only was this footage posted by the influencer himself, but he also posted a tutorial on how to take down a Flock Safety Camera. NoMark is just one of the many leaders of the Deflock movement that is active throughout the United States.
Flock Safety’s Automated License Plate Reading (ALPR) cameras capture information about a vehicle’s license plate and appearance, such as color, dents and stickers. According to Flock, their goal is to improve community safety by recognizing criminals through the cameras or detecting cars affiliated with crimes. As stated on their website, Flock has recovered 10,000+ missing people in 2025, helped to find 42% of customers’ stolen vehicles and cleared one in five court cases using footage from its cameras.
Many people oppose Flock cameras because of privacy concerns, law enforcement misuse and ICE access to the data. According to AP News, one Texas sheriff used ALPR data to track a woman who’d had an abortion. In another situation, six officers of the Savannah Police Department in Georgia were fired after using Flock to search for their friends and family, from the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union). To fight the usage of Flock, citizens in Norfolk, Virginia, have sued the city, arguing that it violates their Fourth Amendment rights, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
“The presence of Flock cameras makes me feel unsettled more often than not. The idea that they could be watching me makes me feel as though I should start watching my back around intersections with these cameras.” Freshman Ishana Shah said.
The “deflocking movement” is a movement aimed at opposing the use of ALPRs. People who participate in the movement mainly use a website called “Deflock,” an open-source project created by Will Freeman. Users who spot Flock cameras near them can add their locations to a public map. Their goal is to raise awareness about the privacy violations, risk of misuse and limited benefits of ALPRs. However, the Deflock movement is controversial for enabling widespread vandalism.
“The deflocking movement is reasonable because people want privacy. People should protect their own rights and privacies by participating in the deflocking movement,” Sophomore Katelyn Pham said.
The Deflock movement has grown, with lawsuits concerning Flock Safety emerging. According to Cascadia Daily, Jose Rodriguez, an Oregon resident near the Washington border, became concerned after Flock cameras were installed there. So, he filed lawsuits against local governments for failing to release images from Flock cameras, winning $330,000. At least 56 municipalities have canceled their contracts with Flock Safety, per The Guardian. Similar sites to Deflock, such as “Have I Been Flocked?” and “Flockhopper,” have appeared. Deflock has caught the attention of Flock Safety, who sent a cease and desist demand to them.
However, some people support Flock cameras because they help solve crimes. Flock Safety claims that its tech assisted with more than 1 million criminal investigations and incidents in 2025. Additionally, Flock was used to track the suspect who caused the Brown University shooting. Law enforcement described the suspect's car to the AI and received locations of where it was recently, helping them pinpoint his location. Responding to the backlash, the CEO stated that they will make changes, such as making optional guardrails mandatory. Now, all law enforcement customers are required to have an audit tool that flags abnormal search behavior. When abnormal search behavior is detected, the user will be locked out.
The Deflock Movement has achieved one of its goals, seeing the new protocols Flock has made to protect the public’s privacy. As technology continues to evolve and surveillance remains a large concern for many, questions may continue to arise around privacy and safety as Flock continues to monitor communities. For every camera destroyed and installed, the delicate dance between Flock Safety and the Deflock Movement balances on the precariously thin line of privacy and public safety.
About the Contributors
Amelia Vaz
Staff Writer
Amelia Vaz is a sophomore at Leland High School and a staff writer for The Charger Account. Often times she can be found hanging out with her friends, trying out a new recipe, fixing a DIY project or petsitting cats.
Naomi Imai
Staff Writer
Naomi Imai is a sophomore at Leland High School. The classes I'm taking this year are Chemistry honors, Precalculus, P.E. 2, Accel World history, Ethnic Lit Honors, and Journalism 1-2. I also love to listen to vocaloid songs.
Janelle Yang
Artist
Janelle Yang is a sophomore at Leland High School and is one of the artists for The Charger Account. In her free time she enjoys chatting with friends, listening to various types of music genres, or practicing different art styles to help improve her future pieces.
Comments