A new website, "Have I Been Flocked," provides drivers with a tool to check if their license plates have been searched by law enforcement agencies utilizing Flock camera systems. The site compiles audit logs from over 6,586 agencies across the United States, allowing individuals to see if their license plate information has been accessed.
According to the website, if a license plate appears in the database, it signifies that not only was the vehicle's plate photographed by a Flock camera, but that an operator specifically searched for that plate using the Flock application or website. The audit log also includes the stated reason provided by law enforcement for conducting the search.
Flock Safety is a private company that operates more than 120,000 AI-powered cameras. These cameras capture vehicle data in public spaces and share it with police departments and local governments. While proponents argue that these camera systems are a valuable asset for law enforcement, privacy advocates have raised significant concerns.
The "Have I Been Flocked" site cautions that the data it provides is based on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) public record requests and may be incomplete or outdated. Organizers also note that "few governments provide easy access to these logs, and the records we obtain are often redacted."
The website clarifies that the database does not indicate when or if a vehicle passed a Flock Safety camera. It also states that individuals searching the Flock databases are not necessarily police officers, and appearing on the site does not automatically imply a person is under investigation. Some individuals have expressed their opposition to the camera systems through acts of vandalism, including damaging or disabling cameras in separate incidents in New York and California.