How Cops Are Using Flock's ALPR Network to Surveil Protesters and Activists
a day ago
- #privacy
- #protests
- #surveillance
- Flock Safety's ALPR technology was used by over 50 federal, state, and local agencies to surveil protest activity in 2025.
- Law enforcement agencies conducted hundreds of searches targeting protests like the 'No Kings' movement, Hands Off, and 50501 protests.
- Flock Safety's system captures license plate data, vehicle details, and location, creating a nationwide searchable database shared among agencies.
- EFF obtained data showing 12 million searches by 3,900 agencies, with many tied to protests without clear criminal justification.
- Border Patrol and ICE used ALPRs to monitor immigration protests and activists, including targeting individuals opposing their tactics.
- Animal rights activists from Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) were specifically surveilled via ALPRs for their protests against factory farms.
- ALPR surveillance threatens First Amendment rights by tracking all protest attendees, not just suspected criminals.
- EFF recommends protestors use alternative transportation methods to avoid ALPR tracking and protect privacy.