The ubiquity of surveillance cameras is not news. There are cameras everywhere. Even if you avoid those planted on poles, there are cameras in every phone, ATM, doorbell, and vehicle. I have suggested that these cameras are unavoidable. See Is Privacy Gone (January 2026) and the posts referenced there.
Mashable claims there are about 128,000 of these cameras in use. One website lets visitors search an address or zip code to see how prevalent such surveillance is for them (I have 6 within a mile of my home, 13 within three miles). At the bottom of their map, the site provides a "Flock safety" meter that allows you to know their perceptions of coverage in a given area. In short, Florida has many.
Truckers are reportedly learning this. Gadget Review reported in August that "No FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) regulation currently bars officers from using privately collected license plate reader data as evidence of vehicle movement."
So, as drivers log their hours and interact with inspection stations and law enforcement, it is possible that discrepancies may appear. They may log their time driving, but it may be contradicted by a picture of their truck on the road during an "off-duty" time. Reportedly, those may evolve into "a log falsification citation." A day may come when AI will evaluate that as soon as a truck enters a weigh station.
These cameras are collecting many photos. The Gadget Review says that "Flock's network captures over a billion vehicle passes per month." The company claims to "help clear 700,000 to one million crimes annually." Yes, cameras are ubiquitous.
ABC13 Houston reports that some Flock users essentially search all Flock data instead of focused searches. It reported that in one 30-day period, that broad process resulted in the Houston, Texas Police searching one Ohio county's data "over 71,000 times." The volume is intriguing. Could the cameras simply monitor us all, every minute, our position, path, and pace?
There are various newsworthy instances in which such video has played a role in catching and convicting criminals. BU Today mentions several examples, including "the murder of ... Ana Walshe, the Idaho murders," and more. Nonetheless, the ubiquity of cameras has not led to a suspect in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie in February 2026.
These cameras have even been implicated in workers' compensation. TiffinOhio reported in July 2026 that state investigative agencies were "turning to Flock's AI-powered" cameras. It reported the cost to the Bureau of Workers' Compensation as $24,000 in 2025. There were no details provided as to how the Bureau uses those cameras and data.
Some speculate that the Flock system has not helped significantly in the Guthrie case because stolen or counterfeit license plates do not trigger alerts. Others speculate that sophisticated observers might readily adjust their routes to avoid those. Nonetheless, the variety of other potential video sources would suggest the probability of some video evidence.
These camera systems can be misused. A North Carolina officer was arrested for his alleged misuse of the Flock system. He was able to do so even though his police department did not own or operate such cameras, according to WLOS. Another outlet, WYFF, noted this was "a betrayal of the public's trust."
CBS Atlanta reported that a Habersham, Georgia officer was fired and arrested for using that county's Flock "system for personal purposes." This was allegedly related to tracking or locating someone the deputy had a "personal relationship with." Stalking with government acquiescence and help.
Gadget Review claims a man was tracked with the system by an "officer with a grievance" after the many spoke at a "town council meeting (and said) something inconvenient." It asserts there are "more than 50 agencies running hundreds of Flock searches tied to protest activity."
Such examples seem to be increasingly common. On the heels of the examples above, the Savannah, Georgia, police suspended "six employees ... after an internal audit identified potential misuse." These allegedly conducted "searches focused on personal acquaintances and family members." Such examples in the news likely lead to perceptions of "Big Brother" and feed distrust.
In August 2026, the Associated Press reported that Flock was responding to that parade of publicity with policy changes that include decreased retention of data and internal tools to make misuse more difficult. Critics were not mollified; one called it "window dressing." It is possible further legislative constraint will come.
AI is already enhancing the capability of such cameras. In 2024, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that "Thousands of motorists have been caught using their phone and not wearing seat belts." The volume of examples there suggests these cameras are both intrusive and effective. Of course, the BBC has had its own credibility issues, but they seem unrelated to this topic.
The use has been more widespread elsewhere. In Australia, there have been many fines for a passenger not wearing a seatbelt, being improperly restrained, holding an electronic device, and more. Citations have been issued, fining drivers significantly ($500), according to ABC News.
One driver also lost her license for three months. The "big brother" element is perhaps diminished by the requirement that a human review the infractions. Nonetheless, it is these cameras that are driving the enforcement. And they are everywhere.
In Santa Monica, California, artificial intelligence cameras are used to issue tickets to vehicles that park in bicycle lanes, Yahoo Tech reports. Los Angeles does similarly with those who "block bus lanes or bus stops."
The Tech article notes that Mississippi contracted in 2026 to employ similar Australian AI cameras. The motivation there was apparently to catch "the truck driver on his cell phone or children standing in the front seat." Safety first - laudable, but at what cost to civil liberty?
When the Mississippi official's motivation for the cameras came to light, "authorities (there) quickly decided to cut ties" with the camera company. A legislator noted that we are "waking up to the fact that we are in a nanny state" (tell that to my car that won't move until I buckle up, or amazingly strong packaging that frustrates any rational attempt to access items I have purchased.
The Tech article explains that these Australian cameras are very powerful and "smart." Their sophistication is one element of concern. Another is the potential that your picture, movement, and habits are being documented. The Australian company swears it does not "store any footage or data." Perhaps folks should simply trust that?
Some municipalities are cancelling contracts for existing cameras. The Record reports that Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Eugene, Oregon, have made those requests. Those officials were not quoted regarding the technology itself, but the Flock vendor in particular. One police chief reiterated he is "still a proponent" of such license plate-reading cameras despite his differences with the company.
What might one do to protect their privacy? The news notes people vandalizing Flock cameras in South Carolina, New York, Idaho, California, and more. Some will see vandalism; others will perhaps think of a massive waste of tea so many years ago. Many in America who have different perspectives and motivations. We may not understand them, but we must admit they are out there.
Futurism reported in July on a 77-year-old Floridian who noted his distaste for such surveillance. He was not arrested, but he also did not damage anyone's property. This man put a protest sign ("down with Flock Cameras") on his pool skimmer (a really long handle) and sat beside a Flock camera, essentially blocking its view. He was apparently questioned by the local constabulary, but not arrested. In the grand scheme of public disobedience, his approach is likely much smarter than destroying property.
The sum of all of this is that privacy has been threatened many times in our history. Electronics and technology like AI cameras, drones, and more are facilitating our exposure and their surveillance. This is all around us. As I noted before, there is little, if any, right to privacy out there in your community, the highway, or similar public areas.
The technology will continue to evolve. Capabilities will continue to improve. Government's ability to see into your life will remain a balancing act of public need versus public sentiment. The issues will likely never again be "can," but increasingly will be questions of "should."
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/georgia-crime-center-supervisor-got-190400892.html
