Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) aren't like your normal traffic cameras.
This surveillance technology records and tracks every car that comes into view, and then an AI algorithm catalogs the make, model, color, license plate number, bumper stickers, and even scratches. This personal information is then uploaded into a nationwide database that any law enforcement agency with a Flock contract can search — with few regulations or oversight on how they use what they find.
As more local city councils and police departments consider contracts for creepy cameras operated by Flock, communities are organizing against mass surveillance — and winning.
Getting the Flock Out of Major Metros
Back in July, we reported about Dane County defunding Flock after public pressure, which led Fitchburg and Monona to end their contracts, as well as McFarland to halt its planned purchase of Flock before deployment. Oshkosh caught Flock in a lie. Appleton also stopped using Flock and UW-Madison deactivated its Flock cameras to seek a different vendor.
Since then, UW-Milwaukee removed its cameras and Milwaukee County may end Flock funding in its next budget. Waukesha is ending its funding after this year, Kenosha is switching to Axon, Racine ended its contract, and the Racine County sheriff ordered all Flock cameras operated by the Sheriff's Office removed after learning Flock had created a separate dataset from the county's images and retained it for up to five years.
Similarly, Sheboygan ended its contract after Flock offered to sell the city five years’ worth of data on traffic speeds and movements, which was news to Sheboygan.
Fond du Lac County and Winnebago County released joint statements suspending use after open records requests in other states released their Flock search data to the public. Fond du Lac, Fox Crossing, Menasha, Neenah, North Fond du Lac, UW-Oshkosh, Waupun, and Winneconne followed suit.
We’ve been so proud to see community members stand up against surveillance — from packed Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission meetings all the way to small-town Wisconsin.
Local Advocacy in Smaller Municipalities
Tenacious local residents have been contacting their elected officials, engaging in deep research to understand the impact of AI-powered dragnet surveillance in their communities, and consistently showing up to local city council meetings, ultimately convincing their city council members to cancel their contracts with companies like Flock.
Some smaller Wisconsin cities ending or not renewing their Flock contracts include Ashland, Chetek, Kaukauna, Lake Mills, Oconomowoc, Marinette, Ripon, Stoughton, and Verona, as well as Waupaca County and Clark County.
Stevens Point and De Pere covered their cameras. Sun Prairie and the town of Grand Chute switched to Axon. Back in April, the Sturgeon Bay Common Council declined to continue its Flock contract following significant public opposition.
With momentum only growing nationwide, you can join local organizers — or start a movement — against Flock and ALPRs in your community.
The Fight Continues
Although dozens of Wisconsin agencies have dropped Flock, more than 200 are still connected to the network and disclose no data to the public about that usage.
Plus, Flock isn’t the only company trying to make a buck by spying on us. Axon, Vigilant Solutions (a subsidiary of Motorola Solutions), Genetec, PlateSmart, Innova Systems, Rekor, ELSAG, Perceptics, and Jenoptik are a few of the other leading companies selling ALPRs to police, private companies, and others.
Wisconsin agencies that drop Flock may try to contract with another provider. It doesn't matter which company has its creepy cameras in your neighborhood; they all have the same problems: a lack of transparency, oversight, and regulation into how they collect, store, and use our data, and how to hold public and private actors accountable if they abuse it.
But we're not powerless. More and more communities are rejecting these creepy cameras — and yours can be one of them!
