{"id":2650992,"date":"2026-08-28T07:31:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T11:31:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/deflock-started-from-one-mans-curiosity-now-flock-cameras-are-a-midterm-issue\/"},"modified":"2026-08-28T07:46:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T11:46:26","slug":"deflock-started-from-one-mans-curiosity-now-flock-cameras-are-a-midterm-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/deflock-started-from-one-mans-curiosity-now-flock-cameras-are-a-midterm-issue\/","title":{"rendered":"DeFlock started from one man&#8217;s curiosity. Now Flock cameras are a midterm issue"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdeflock-started-from-one-mans-curiosity-now-flock-cameras-are-a-midterm-issue%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2650992&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Will Freeman, a software engineer, was concerned about the increasing presence of Flock Safety\u2019s automatic licence plate readers (ALPRs) after noticing them during his travels across the U.S. in 2024.These cameras, operated by the Atlanta-based company Flock Safety, collect data on all passing vehicles, including license plates and othre identifiers, and are widely used by law enforcement across the country. freeman found the widespread deployment unsettling and created DeFlock, a website mapping the locations of these cameras to raise public awareness and encourage community activism. The site gained meaningful attention, especially after being promoted by media and political figures, transforming it into a movement addressing privacy and surveillance concerns. Even tho initially a side project, deflock has helped organize opposition and inform debates on the implications of mass surveillance. The issue has gained political traction, with candidates in states like Texas and Ohio criticizing Flock\u2019s network and raising concerns about privacy and potential misuse, including law enforcement abuses. The company has made some operational changes, such as limiting data retention, but critics view these as symbolic gestures. Freeman&#8217;s efforts have notably increased public scrutiny, highlighting how citizens can see and challenge the spread of surveillance technology in their communities.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Will Freeman wasn\u2019t looking to start a national movement when he launched DeFlock after noticing Flock Safety\u2019s automatic license plate readers along the side of the road.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The software engineer was driving across the country in 2024 when the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/surveillance\/\">cameras<\/a> began catching his attention. They appeared at interstate exits, along city streets, and, in one instance, on a dirt road. When Freeman arrived in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, he found them there too.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4703065\/deflock-flock-cameras-surveillance-midterms\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>DeFlock started from one man\u2019s curiosity \u2014 now Flock cameras are a midterm issue<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4703458\/abdul-el-sayed-says-he-rejects-super-pacs-he-is-benefiting-from-them-anyway\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Abdul el Sayed says he rejects super PACs. He\u2019s benefiting from them anyway<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4702722\/dnc-lawyers-voter-protection-volunteers-contentious-midterms\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>DNC recruits lawyers and thousands of \u2018voter protection\u2019 volunteers as it braces for contentious midterm elections<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI mean, it just looked creepy to me,\u201d Freeman told the<em> Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cIt looked like it was designed to be hidden because it was all black and then typically mounted behind signs and in spots where you\u2019re unlikely to see them.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Freeman started asking his friends if he knew what they were, only to find out no one had any idea what Flock was. So, he started digging.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He learned that the cameras he had encountered were operated by Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based tech company that has rapidly built a nationwide network used by thousands of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/police-and-law-enforcement\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"401\">law enforcement<\/a> agencies.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-getting-deflock-off-the-ground\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Getting DeFlock off the ground<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Freeman, having learned what the cameras do only made them more concerning.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI thought, wow, well, we need to have a discussion about this,\u201d he said. \u201cThis kind of seems like something that should have been brought up to the public before they were implemented.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Freeman then put his computer skills to work and built a website where people can map out the locations of Flock cameras: DeFlock.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike a traditional camera positioned to catch a specific violation, such as not paying a toll, Flock\u2019s cameras collect information about every vehicle that passes them, including license plates and other identifying characteristics. Flock <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4686592\/flock-ceo-outlines-policy-changes-after-uproar-over-surveillance-network\/\">currently has<\/a> over 120,000 cameras active across 49 states and has struck deals with thousands of municipalities. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Freeman set DeFlock live, his intention was just to let people know about the cameras he felt were invading residents\u2019 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/privacy\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1119\">privacy<\/a>. There was no advertising campaign or political organization behind it. Freeman still had his regular job, and DeFlock was just a side project that stemmed from his concerns about the company and its product.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI wanted to make a website that kind of told you about them, showed you where they were on a map, so that if someone wanted to go out and verify it, they could,\u201d Freeman said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The website slowly spread through <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/policy\/technology\/\" data-type=\"category\" data-id=\"179\">technology<\/a> circles before reaching a much larger audience through national media and political figures. Freeman said after conservative commentator <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tucker-carlson\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"2481\">Tucker Carlson<\/a> talked about Flock, traffic on the website grew sixfold.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt changed from just like something that only privacy-focused people knew about to something that the average person cares about,\u201d Freeman said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DeFlock has expanded as opposition to ALPRs has grown. What started primarily as a crowdsourced map became a clearinghouse for people who wanted to challenge Flock deployments in their own communities. Freeman added information about taking concerns to city councils and helped local activists organize.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the operation behind DeFlock remains strikingly small compared to its reach. Freeman said only five to 10 people make up the team, supplemented by a much larger network of people who donate time and resources around the country.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The movement has remained difficult to place neatly on the political spectrum, as candidates and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have raised concerns about Flock.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/4662831\/communities-fear-flock-cameras-safety-promise-trojan-horse-mass-surveillance\/\">COMMUNITIES FEAR FLOCK CAMERAS\u2019 SAFETY PROMISE IS TROJAN HORSE FOR MASS SURVEILLANCE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s a politically divisive issue,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cI think it\u2019s a top-down versus Left-Right kind of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Freeman explained that he never intended to become an activist by creating DeFlock, but the opposition to Flock has grown beyond grassroots organizing and has carried into electoral politics.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-flock-backlash-reaches-the-midterm-elections-and-capitol-hill\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Flock backlash reaches the midterm elections and Capitol Hill<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same concerns that transformed DeFlock from a side project into a national movement are now making their way into the midterm elections, with candidates turning Flock\u2019s surveillance network into a campaign issue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/texas\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"253\">Texas<\/a>, Democratic gubernatorial challenger Gina Hinojosa has made the ALPRs part of her argument against Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), releasing a digital ad Tuesday accusing the governor of allowing a mass surveillance network to spread across the state.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWelcome to Texas y\u2019all, where we celebrate freedom from big government,\u201d the ad says, before warning viewers that 10,000 Flock cameras are \u201creading your plate, logging where you sleep and pray.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ohio\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1141\">Ohio<\/a> Republican gubernatorial candidate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/vivek-ramaswamy\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"2872\">Vivek Ramaswamy<\/a> has also <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/clip\/campaign-2026\/vivek-ramaswamy-on-flock-cameras\/5203737\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/clip\/campaign-2026\/vivek-ramaswamy-on-flock-cameras\/5203737\">raised concerns about the scale<\/a> of Flock\u2019s operation, comparing it to a \u201cChinese-style surveillance state.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI do not want to see an authoritarian surveillance state that ultimately threatens what this country was built on, which is our freedom,\u201d Ramaswamy said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His competitor, Democrat Amy Acton, has voiced worry about data privacy, saying she would work to make sure \u201claw enforcement officers to use technology in all the right ways to protect Ohioans.\u201d She has also said she would put \u201cstrict guardrails\u201d in place to prevent law enforcement from abusing ALPRs, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/signalcleveland.org\/ohio-governor-race-amy-acton-vivek-ramaswamy-flock-camera-stances-november-election-2026\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/signalcleveland.org\/ohio-governor-race-amy-acton-vivek-ramaswamy-flock-camera-stances-november-election-2026\/\">according to<\/a> <em>Signal Cleveland<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Acton\u2019s concerns about police abusing ALPRs come as law enforcement offices across the country have been accused of using the technology for unauthorized purposes, including tracking current or former romantic partners. A <em>Washington Post<\/em> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/technology\/2026\/08\/19\/we-found-cops-who-misused-flock-their-police-departments-didnt-know\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/technology\/2026\/08\/19\/we-found-cops-who-misused-flock-their-police-departments-didnt-know\/\">investigation<\/a> identified at least 69 police officials accused, charged, or convicted of misusing Flock or other license plate reader systems, including cases in which departments were aware of potential abuse until it was revealed by victims, activists, or journalists.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flock opposition is also turning heads on Capitol Hill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/josh-hawley\/\">Josh Hawley<\/a> (R-MO) sent a letter to\u00a0Flock Safety\u00a0CEO Garrett Langley, raising concerns about the company\u2019s \u201cunprecedented national surveillance network.\u201d He cited police officers\u2019 misuse of Flock cameras to stalk former partners, saying the incidents show the lack of safeguards.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another area of alarm about Flock for Hawley was what happens to the data after it\u2019s collected, an area of concern Freeman has also expressed. Flock spokesman Paris Lewbel told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that the company had received Hawley\u2019s letter and is looking forward to \u201cthe opportunity to provide the Subcommittee with additional information.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier this month, Flock announced several changes to the company\u2019s systems, including tightening the retention period to seven days and requiring a search to be tied to a case number. The company has framed the changes as safeguards intended to prevent misuse of its technology, but Freeman argues they do little to address the underlying problem.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The seven-day retention period, for example, is a recommended default for new customers rather than a requirement for agencies already using the system. Freeman also questioned whether requiring officers to enter a case number would prevent abuse, noting that officers accused of improperly searching the database have previously entered legitimate-looking case numbers and search reasons.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA lot of their changes are symbolic,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cThey\u2019re designed to ease people\u2019s fears when in reality they don\u2019t really do much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Freeman, those safeguards leave intact the feature that concerned him when he first began researching the cameras: the ability to collect information about the movements of people who are not suspected of committing a crime and make that information reachable across a sprawling network.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what started as Freeman\u2019s personal objection has turned increasingly political as hopefuls in Ohio and Texas and Hawley join in opposition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4701630\/josh-hawley-investigation-flock-cameras\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4701630\/josh-hawley-investigation-flock-cameras\/\">HAWLEY OPENS INVESTIGATION INTO \u2018UNPRECEDENTED\u2019 SCALE OF FLOCK SURVEILLANCE <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Less than two years after Freeman noticed cameras on a cross-country drive, the questions he began asking from his computer have reached city councils.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That may ultimately be DeFlock\u2019s most significant contribution to the debate. Freeman did not create the public\u2019s concerns about government surveillance but rather gave citizens a map to see just how closely they were being watched.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> reached out to Flock for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Freeman&#8217;s side project sparks national debate on surveillance<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4130,"featured_media":2650995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP25324513848525.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[11081,10377,7297,11458],"class_list":["post-2650992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-cameras","tag-crowdfunding","tag-innovation","tag-technology"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP25324513848525.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2650992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2650992"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2650992\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2651002,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2650992\/revisions\/2651002"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2650995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2650992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2650992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2650992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}