A coalition of over 20 activist groups converged on the San Francisco residence of cryptocurrency billionaire Chris Larsen to protest his alleged support for Flock cameras, a company that provides automated license plate readers.
The demonstration, part of a "National Week of Action Against Automated License Plate Readers," saw activists place bright yellow cardboard dummy cameras around Larsen's property on Friday. Signs attached to the mock cameras bore messages such as "Does this make you feel safer Chris?"
"There’s not much evidence that flock cameras significantly impact crime rates," Luc Bouchard, an organizer with Sunrise Movement Bay Area, stated. Bouchard accused Larsen of investing heavily in the surveillance technology within San Francisco, adding, "He feels that he’s entitled to watch us, we came to his house to watch him."
Protesters also launched a website, billionairewatchparty.com, and displayed pink posters featuring a shocked doll's face with arrows pointing to existing Flock cameras, urging action.
The protest highlights growing concerns about mass surveillance nationwide. According to data from DeFlock.org, over 117,000 Flock Safety automated license plate readers are in use across the country, with more than 16,000 located in California. San Francisco County ranks third nationally for camera density per road mile, with 1,196 cameras per 1,000 miles.
Controversy surrounding Flock cameras has also extended to national parks, with reports indicating their installation across six locations in Yosemite. Park officials, however, have stated these cameras are intended for traffic control rather than license plate recognition.
In response to increasing scrutiny from privacy advocates and politicians, Flock Safety recently announced a reduction in its data retention period for license-plate camera images, shortening it from 30 days to seven. The company also stated that law enforcement would be required to justify each search of its system. Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley described these changes as the most stringent license-plate-reader policy in the nation, noting that approximately 90% of investigative searches already occur within a seven-day window.
Despite these adjustments, the Los Angeles Police Department has suspended its contract with Flock Safety due to privacy and data security concerns. Flock cameras capture images of passing vehicles, log their license plates, and allow authorized users to reconstruct vehicle routes by mapping photos and locations. The system converts this imagery into searchable database records, indexing license plates, vehicle model, color, unique features, and timestamps.