Purplish What the ‘Flock’ are you looking at? License plate readers and mass surveillance
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Mar 13, 2026 Andrew Kenney, reporter who covers surveillance and police data, joins to unpack Colorado’s spread of Flock license-plate readers. He explains how modern LPR systems create searchable tracking networks. The conversation covers misuse risks, public protests, national data sharing, and proposed state limits on law enforcement access.
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Woman Accused At Home Based On Flock Images
- Kristina Elser was accused at her doorstep of stealing a package based solely on Flock images showing her truck nearby.
- She proved innocence with timestamped video from her husband's Rivian that showed she drove through but never stopped.
How Flock Turns Cameras Into A Searchable Network
- Flock and competitors create a nationwide searchable database by connecting many camera feeds and using AI to extract license plates and vehicle attributes.
- The system constantly scans feeds, logs plate, color, and location, and enables real-time or historical searches across jurisdictions.
Effectiveness And Privacy Are The Same Feature
- The technology's power to solve crimes (hit-and-runs, homicides, kidnappings) is the same feature that drives privacy alarm: the ability to track individuals across time and place.
- Police praise speed and cross-jurisdiction utility while critics warn it creates a constant government surveillance mosaic.