FLOCK aclu get the flock out
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You can file a public records request seeking records related to surveillance and cameras in your neighborhood. You might inquire about a contract first u2013 if there is one confirmed, you could request additional records on the total number of cameras and the location of cameras in the area. You can submit a public records request through your city or countyu0027s website. Some cities and counties are more transparent about Flock records than others.n","image_video_field_group":{"image_video_options":{"value":"image","label":"Image"},"image_group":{"image":false,"caption":"","credit":"","link-settings":"none","url":""},"video_group":{"video":false,"cover_image":false,"video_orientation":"standard"},"youtube_group":{"oembed-url":"","cover-image":false}}}]'
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Know Your Tech: ALPR Cameras & Flock
The ACLU's Ongoing Work
The ACLU has been working for over a decade to increase transparency and accountability for how ALPR cameras are being used.
In 2013, we released You Are Being Tracked, a report detailing how ALPR cameras were becoming a tool for mass routine location tracking and surveillance. Our privacy and technology team has kept a close eye on the spread of ALPR cameras in the following decade, and in February 2026, we released model legislation with strict guidelines for regulating the use of ALPR cameras. In April 2026, the ACLU filed an amicus brief in a Fourth Circuit case arguing that the use of ALPR systems gave the government unprecedented powers of surveillance that upset traditional expectations of privacy in violation of the Fourth Amendment. And in May 2026, the ACLU supported a bipartisan amendment to the federal highway funding bill that would have prevented cities and states from using ALPR cameras, except for tolling purposes.
Communities across the country are fighting back against the slow creep of license plate readers into their neighborhoods — and the ACLU’s State Affiliates are leading the way. They’ve helped organize local community members to oppose Automatic License Plate Readers by Flock and other companies, passed legislation regulating them, and successfully convinced cities to oppose and cancel contracts for this invasive surveillance tech.
Click your state below to learn more about their work and join your local movement to fight back against mass surveillance.
Last updated on July 10, 2026
Arizona
Ongoing Advocacy
ACLU of Arizona
Canceled Contracts
- December 2025 — Flagstaff city council voted unanimously to cancel their contract with Flock.
California
Ongoing Advocacy
ACLU of Northern California
Canceled Contracts
- January 2026: Worked with a local coalition to mobilize opposition to Flock cameras in Santa Cruz. In January 2026, the City Council voted to end their contract with Flock Safety.
- February 2026: Worked with a local coalition to mobilize opposition to Flock cameras in Mountain View. In February 2026, the Chief of Police announced they would immediately discontinue use of Flock ALPR cameras.
- May 2026: Submitted public comments to the El Cerrito City Council, which voted 3-2 to not renew their Flock contract, effectively ending it. The termination of this agreement with Flock effectively saves El Cerrito $315K over the next three years.
Legal Action
- Filed a lawsuit in November 2025 alongside the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) challenging San Jose's warrantless ALPR mass surveillance.
- The EFF and the ACLU affiliates of Northern California, Southern California, and San Diego & Imperial Counties sued the Marin County Sheriff in October 2021 for illegally sharing drivers' license plate data with ICE, CBP and other out-of-state agencies. In May 2022, the plaintiffs reached a settlement in which the Sheriff agreed to stop sharing license plate and location information with agencies outside of California. The settlement is binding for any of the Sheriff’s successors.
- Filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit in May 2018 demanding records of ICE's contracts with private ALPR companies to purchase data for potential use for civil immigration enforcement.
ACLU of Southern California
Legal Action
- The ACLU Foundation of Southern California and the EFF won a decision by the California Supreme Court that the license plate data collected indiscriminately by ALPR cameras can't be kept secret by law enforcement. This opens pathways for public accountability and transparency about how this data is used.
Advocacy
- Sent letters to over 70 law enforcement agencies in California, demanding they stop illegally sharing ALPR camera data with states that have criminalized abortion care. They also notified the California Attorney General about these violations, who then instructed police across the state to cease sharing license plate information with other states or federal agencies.