Flock Safety CEO Calls for Balanced Use Amid Vandalism and Vendor Shifts

Flock Safety CEO Calls for Balanced Use Amid Vandalism and Vendor Shifts

Flock Safety chief Garrett Langley urged a balanced approach to the company’s automated license-plate readers, saying the technology’s growing vandalism and protests required careful use. Law-enforcement agencies have begun ending contracts with Flock and signing new deals with rivals such as Axon, Motorola Solutions and Verkada, NPR reported. A costumed protester also mocked San Diego’s continued use of Flock cameras at a public-safety committee meeting. Earlier, Flock Safety announced it would limit video-data retention to seven days, make audit-assistance features mandatory for police customers, and require case-linked searches, as detailed in statements from the firm and reported by multiple outlets.

A public website, HaveIBeenFlocked. com, was launched to let motorists check whether their plates appear in the company’s audit logs, though the data are not real-time and may be incomplete. The policy changes followed criticism after activists sabotaged cameras in at least 36 states.

Actors

Flock Safety American Civil Liberties Union

Locations

United States

Articles

August 22, 2026
2 total
Flock Safety CEO Calls for Balanced Approach to License-Plate Reader Use
Flock Safety CEO Calls for Balanced Approach to License-Plate Reader Use

Fox News • 22 Aug 21:51

Flock Safety chief Garrett Langley urged a compromise between public safety and privacy after vandalism and protests against the company's automated license-plate cameras intensified.

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Law agencies shift from Flock to rival ALPR providers amid privacy concerns
Law agencies shift from Flock to rival ALPR providers amid privacy concerns

NPR • 22 Aug 11:43

Following widespread criticism of Flock Safety's license-plate reader system, dozens of municipalities have ended contracts and some are signing deals with competitors such as Axon, Motorola Solutions and Verkada.

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August 21, 2026
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Costumed protester mocks San Diego council's use of Flock license-plate cameras
Costumed protester mocks San Diego council's use of Flock license-plate cameras

The Guardian • 21 Aug 22:14

A person dressed as a popular sci-fi villain appeared at a San Diego public-safety committee meeting to satirize the city’s continued use of Flock Safety’s automated license-plate readers amid growing privacy concerns.

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U.S. Residents Increase Vandalism and Opposition to Police License-Plate Reader Cameras
U.S. Residents Increase Vandalism and Opposition to Police License-Plate Reader Cameras

NPR • 21 Aug 09:00

Activists and citizens in at least 36 states are sabotaging Flock automated license-plate readers, while law-enforcement agencies defend the technology as a tool for locating stolen vehicles and missing persons.

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August 20, 2026
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Longmont and other U.S. cities replace Flock license-plate cameras with new vendors amid privacy concerns
Longmont and other U.S. cities replace Flock license-plate cameras with new vendors amid privacy concerns

The Guardian • 20 Aug 14:51

After ending its contract with surveillance firm Flock Safety, Longmont, Colorado, approved a new automated license-plate reader system from Axon, while several other municipalities face similar vendor swaps and lingering camera installations.

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August 18, 2026
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Tool lets drivers check if their license plates were queried in Flock surveillance system
Tool lets drivers check if their license plates were queried in Flock surveillance system

Mashable • 18 Aug 19:45

A new website enables motorists to enter their license plate numbers and see whether they appear in public records of searches conducted through Flock Safety’s license-plate reader network.

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August 17, 2026
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Website lets drivers check if their plates appear in Flock camera searches
Website lets drivers check if their plates appear in Flock camera searches

CBS News • 17 Aug 18:17

The HaveIBeenFlocked.com tool uses public audit logs to show whether a license plate has been queried in Flock Safety's automated license-plate reader system, though the data is not real-time and may be incomplete.

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Website Lets Drivers Check If Their License Plate Is in Flock Camera Database
Website Lets Drivers Check If Their License Plate Is in Flock Camera Database

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS • 17 Aug 03:38

A new site enables motorists to enter their plate numbers to discover whether Flock surveillance cameras have recorded them, amid growing privacy concerns and recent vandalism of the cameras.

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August 16, 2026
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New website lets drivers check if their plates were queried by Flock camera system
New website lets drivers check if their plates were queried by Flock camera system

The Independent • 16 Aug 20:07

A public site now allows vehicle owners to see whether their license plates have been searched in Flock Safety's surveillance database, amid privacy concerns over the company's extensive camera network.

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August 15, 2026
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New Site Lets Drivers Check If Their License Plates Were Searched by Flock Cameras
New Site Lets Drivers Check If Their License Plates Were Searched by Flock Cameras

WAVE News • 15 Aug 00:59

The HaveIBeenFlocked website allows motorists to enter their license plate numbers and see whether law-enforcement agencies have queried the plate in Flock camera audit logs, using data obtained through FOIA requests.

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New Site Lets Drivers Check If Their License Plates Were Searched by Flock Cameras
New Site Lets Drivers Check If Their License Plates Were Searched by Flock Cameras

FOX19 | Cincinnati • 15 Aug 00:59

The HaveIBeenFlocked website allows motorists to enter their license plate numbers and see whether law-enforcement agencies have queried the plate in Flock camera audit logs, using data obtained through FOIA requests.

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August 14, 2026
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Flock Safety to make auditing and data-retention safeguards mandatory for police by Jan. 1
Flock Safety to make auditing and data-retention safeguards mandatory for police by Jan. 1

WRAL • 14 Aug 03:37

Flock Safety will require all law-enforcement customers to use an audit system, limit data retention to seven days and tie searches to specific cases, the company said in a video statement.

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August 13, 2026
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Flock Safety adds mandatory audit tools and search justification to curb police misuse of license-plate readers
Flock Safety adds mandatory audit tools and search justification to curb police misuse of license-plate readers

USA Today • 13 Aug 21:30

Flock Safety announced mandatory safeguards, including required search reasons and real-time audit alerts, to prevent law-enforcement officers from improperly using its automated license-plate reader system.

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Flock Safety mandates new audit and data-retention rules for police license-plate scanners
Flock Safety mandates new audit and data-retention rules for police license-plate scanners

The Guardian • 13 Aug 20:47

Flock Safety will require law-enforcement users to enable audit-assistance features and limit license-plate data retention to seven days after reports of misuse.

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Flock Safety announces mandatory safeguards and reduced data retention amid privacy concerns
Flock Safety announces mandatory safeguards and reduced data retention amid privacy concerns

AP News • 13 Aug 18:17

Surveillance firm Flock Safety said it will make audit tools mandatory, shorten data storage to seven days and require case-linked searches to address criticism over its license-plate reader network.

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Flock Safety introduces shorter data retention and new abuse-prevention tools
Flock Safety introduces shorter data retention and new abuse-prevention tools

Fox Business • 13 Aug 13:08

Flock Safety announced that it will keep license-plate video data for only seven days and will make anti-abuse features mandatory for police customers.

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Flock Safety adds data-retention limits and audit tools after police misuse concerns
Flock Safety adds data-retention limits and audit tools after police misuse concerns

NBC News • 13 Aug 13:00

The surveillance firm announced shorter default data storage periods and an audit system to curb potential police abuse of its license-plate reader network.

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