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Flock cameras trigger nationwide backlash over privacy concerns
Originally published on September 1, 2026, by Max Zahn for ABCNews.
At an event in San Diego, a man dressed as Darth Vader urged the crowd to flock to the dark side.
No, this wasn’t Comic Con — but a public safety meeting in San Diego about automatic license plate readers and the most common camera type, Flock.
“The Emperor is a fan of Flock,” the man told elected officials during his satirical presentation last week. “We must continue utilizing Flock technologies so that we can follow and surveil the rebel scum.”
So far this year, more than 50 cities and counties have canceled or deactivated automated license plate-recognition (ALPR) cameras of the type manufactured by Flock Safety and other firms, also known as Flock cameras, Politico found.
On Monday, Florida’s state transportation office revoked local law enforcement’s ability to put license plate readers on state highways.