The use of automatic license plate readers has exploded across the country in recent years. The cameras on roads and freeways that take images of the back of passing cars are popular with police for solving crimes.
But as President Trump’s immigration enforcement crackdown has escalated in recent months, residents of various American cities are urging local leaders to stop using these cameras, citing fears of mass surveillance and concerns that local data could be aiding a federal deportation dragnet.
Many of the grassroots campaigns have targeted cameras made by Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based company that has contracts with more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies across the country. Some cities have grappled with the issue and decided to keep their cameras due to public safety, but in a number of places, the pressure has worked.
The liberal college towns of Flagstaff, Ariz., Cambridge, Mass., Eugene, Ore. and Santa Cruz, Calif., are among a list of at least 30 localities that have either deactivated their Flock cameras or canceled their contracts since the beginning of 2025 – with much of the activity happening in just the last three months.
“We are seeing a lot more momentum,” said Will Freeman, a Colorado-based activist who opposes the cameras and runs the DeFlock.me website, which through crowdsourcing has mapped the locations of more than 76,000 license plate readers across the country. “I expect there to be more cities dropping Flock.”
Flock isn’t the only one with ALPR cameras, I hope the movements recognize that and block all ALPR deployments
A couple flock cameras near my town keep getting taken out and put back up.
The latest blurry security camera footage to catch the culprit has led to sweet FA since they ride a nondescript dark color mountain bike, wear all black clothing without logos or text, and seem to avoid riding their bike unmasked near businesses with cameras and houses that might have door cameras.
I don’t even think they know gender/skin/hair color. Anything other than “average human height” really.
Anyway, shout out to everyone who destroys one of these things. It’s illegal, but it’s the morally correct thing to do.
Cambridge Massachusetts successfully defended against the police for keeping em deployed.
As in, took extra effort to explain to the govt why they are bad, while the police were all: “But flock gewd!”
Thanks Pirate Party!
Fuck Flock and fuck Garrett Langley with a wooden tent stake; Trump style.
I’ve got a lens over my plate that looks blurry unless you look at it straight on at eye level. We’ll be like China soon.
Where’d you get that? For my friend…
Beware, obstructing your license plate can get you a ticket in a plurality of states. Not saying you shouldn’t do it, just that you should be informed about potential consequences.
Yes, and they’re usually a secondary offense, so shouldn’t be pulled over for it, but be prepared with a dashcam as well.
Edit: in my state, it is a primary offense, they will pull you over for it.
Its a primary offense in Oregon too.
In Florida its actually a misdemeanor to cover the plate with anything. A guy was recently arrested after being pulled over for this in a rental car that had a license plate frame partially obscuring the first ‘S’ in “Sunshine State.”
Those are illegal in most places, just fyi
You need adversarialy trained mud splats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB0gr7Fh6lY
Yup. Was just looking mine up and it seems like any material is illegal. If it only affected visibility from certain vertical angles I might be willing to give it a go.
Hrmm. Double checked my state law. I think most of those would run afoul of that. Are there versions that are visible within certain ranges vertically but all ranges horizontally? I think that might still run afoul but would be less likely to be caught just driving around.
I use these two covers together for day/night protection in most situations. Sunflexzone for Infrared blocking and ghostplate for blocking overhead cameras while maintaining clarity at eye level. I put the clear IR blocking cover behind the ghostplate cover. To be even more discreet, I would advise not using the plastic frame that ghostplate ships with and instead buy a thin silicon plate holder. This will also do a better job of keeping dirt from getting in between them.
Edit: I forgot to add, the ghostplate only works if its perpendicular to the ground and most newer cars are made so that the plate rests at an angle for the cameras to read more easily. Trucks and RVs don’t have this problem. I just bought some adjustable tilt brackets on Amazon to solve this.
Not that I’m aware of, I’m in Michigan and while I’m not 100% sure of it being illegal I’m willing to take a cop to court to prove that it is
