DeFlock Takes Flight: Mapping the Rise of Surveillance Cameras in the U.S.

U.S. resident Will Freeman noticed a suspiciously large number of cameras mounted on poles with solar panels along the roads of the southern states. A closer investigation revealed that these cameras are automatic license plate readers (ALPR) installed by the company Flock for law enforcement.

Flock, one of the largest suppliers of automatic license plate readers in the U.S., aims to “completely eradicate crime” through such technologies. However, experts deem these ambitions unrealistic.

Freeman observed that in Huntsville, Flock cameras are positioned in a circular pattern around major intersections, creating a surveillance ring that monitors vehicles entering and leaving the city center. He soon discovered cameras not only from Flock but also from other manufacturers, such as Motorola and its subsidiary Avigilon. These systems connect to other surveillance networks, enabling the tracking of individuals’ movements nationwide.

Over the course of several days, Freeman counted dozens of such cameras and decided to create a database mapping their locations. Thus, the DeFlock project was born, utilizing the OpenStreetMap platform. Freeman began publishing maps showing ALPR cameras and posted notices about his project on poles with cameras in Huntsville.

Freeman’s initiative gained support from Reddit users in the city and residents from other regions, resulting in the addition of not only Flock cameras but also devices from other manufacturers around the world.

Freeman’s goal is to raise public awareness of pervasive surveillance and to encourage discourse and potential action to regulate these systems. Ideally, he would like the cameras to be dismantled or at least placed under strict oversight.

By the time of his first interview, Freeman’s map covered several dozen cameras in Huntsville, with a few mapped in Southern California and near Seattle. A week after DeFlock’s launch, the number of mapped cameras grew to several thousand across U.S. cities and internationally. The project has now documented over 1,700 cameras in the U.S. and more than 5,600 worldwide. For instance, Colton, a small city in California with a population of around 50,000, has 677 such cameras.

The project also monitors cities and counties that publish transparency reports on ALPR use on Flock’s website. Additionally, DeFlock allows users to indicate the “direction” of each camera’s view, offering insights into how the devices are utilized and the strategies companies and law enforcement employ. Notably, all cameras in central Huntsville are directed at city entrances, capturing incoming vehicles.

Freeman hopes that in the future, the project will provide routes allowing drivers to avoid areas with ALPR cameras, especially relevant in light of a court case in Virginia challenging Flock’s right to install such devices. In Freeman’s view, knowing the location of these cameras is the first step toward safeguarding personal privacy.