As part of the ongoing story, they’re automated license plate readers with concerning privacy implications, and you probably drive past more of them than you realize. If you’re curious about what your local police department is using, the Atlas of Surveillance gives you a simple way to find out. Flock cameras are a hot topic right now.
In a fresh development, its database covers thousands of agencies and surveillance deployments. Created by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the University of Nevada, Reno’s Reynolds School of Journalism, the site collects public information about surveillance tech used by law enforcement across the US.
According to the latest update, these automated license plate readers photograph passing vehicles and record plate information that police can use in investigations. Flock cameras have also become a flashpoint for privacy advocates, with critics raising concerns about police misuse, widespread sharing of license-plate data between agencies, and their potential use in immigration enforcement and other sensitive investigations. One of its most useful bits of information is its coverage of Flock Safety cameras.
The report highlights that you can then filter the results to “Automated License Plate Readers” or sort by “Flock Safety” as the vendor. To see if Flock cameras are used near you, enter your city, county, state, or local police agency into the Atlas search box.
Industry observers note that each entry can tell you which agency uses the cameras, when they were adopted, and sometimes how many are in service. Each entry also links back to sources such as government records and news reports, so you can dig deeper. You can click on each individual result to get more information.
According to the latest update, still, it’s an easy way to get a better idea of how much surveillance tech is being used in your area. It’s important to know, though, that Atlas tracks deployments by police agencies, not necessarily the exact location of every camera pole.
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In a fresh development, when he's not on the hunt for the best computer deals he's covering VPNs, productivity programs, laptops, and a wide gamut of consumer-grade devices and programs. Sam Singleton is PCWorld's VPN beat reporter and jack of all trades.