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AI-powered cameras are facing growing resistance in cities across America.
Critics argue the systems enable mass surveillance of ordinary drivers.
Supporters say the technology helps solve crimes and recover vehicles.
The fight over automated license plate readers is no longer limited to privacy advocates and civil liberties groups. Across America , residents, elected officials, and even entire city councils are increasingly pushing back against AI-powered camera networks that record passing vehicles and store vast amounts of data about where they travel. What started as a crime-fighting tool is rapidly becoming one of the most divisive technologies on American streets.
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A City Boils Over
The debate recently exploded in Troy, New York, where a city council meeting stretched past midnight as residents blasted local leaders for continuing to use cameras supplied by Flock Safety. According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal , opponents described the system as a โdystopian hellscape,โ arguing that collecting data on every passing vehicle creates a surveillance infrastructure that could easily be abused. In fact, it already has been across the USA but weโll circle back to that.
Read: Why More Cities Are Suddenly Pulling The Plug On Flock Safety Cameras
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In Troy, the residents were outspoken about their broader views. โAs a Troy resident, I am appalled that our own mayor, our own administration, can essentially write off the rights of a significant portion of people who pay their salaries,โ one speaker said. โWe should be using what is essentially a mass surveillance technology only for the worst possible crimes,โ said Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union.
The Market Leader
Flock Safety has become the dominant player in the automated license plate reader market since launching in 2017. The Atlanta-based company says its cameras perform roughly 20 billion license plate reads each month and are used in more than 6,000 communities. Beyond reading plates, the cameras can identify vehicle color, make, model, and distinguishing features such as bumper stickers or roof racks.
Police departments can search that information, receive alerts when specific vehicles are detected, and in some cases track recent movements. Supporters point to impressive results. Flock CEO Garrett Langley says the technology played a role in roughly one million arrests last year, while local officials frequently credit the system with helping solve homicides, robberies, narcotics investigations, missing-person cases, and vehicle thefts.
At the same time, detractors point to several verified issues with the technology. In Oakland, stolen car alerts were so numerous that the police turned those alerts off. Individuals across the USA, including police officers, have allegedly misused the technology to illegally stalk individuals. Journalists have found completely unprotected camera units and shown how anyone could gather data on specific individuals with that access.
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Other critics argue that collecting information on every vehicle creates a form of mass surveillance, even if courts have generally ruled that license plate readers do not violate Fourth Amendment protections.
The Backlash Gets Organized
The resistance has become increasingly organized. Websites such as DeFlock now crowdsource camera locations . HaveIBeenFlocked.com enables users to search their own plates. And some cameras have reportedly been vandalized with paint, stickers, or even saws. Where do you fall on the debate? Let us know down below!
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Photos: Flock Safety
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