Thousands of artificial intelligence-powered cameras may be quietly recording vehicles across the Country, often without drivers knowing where the devices are located.

Flock Safety says more than 120,000 of its automated, solar powered cameras operate across 49 states, with several thousand installed throughout the Sunshine State.

Automated license plate reader cameras are not new.

Cities have long used red light and speeding cameras, but Flock systems collect considerably more detail, including license plates, vehicle color, make, model, damage, roof racks, bumper stickers, scratches, dents, and other identifying features.

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Supporters argue the technology gives police another powerful tool for finding missing people, recovering stolen vehicles, and locating criminal suspects.

Flock cameras have also been credited with helping investigators in major cases, including the 2025 mass shooting at Brown University.

Critics see a more troubling picture.

They have raised concerns about privacy, inaccurate matches, misuse by government agencies, and possible road safety problems, especially as a nationwide surveillance network expands with limited public awareness or debate.

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Drivers curious about cameras in their neighborhoods will not find an official placement map from Flock Safety.

However, volunteer operated projects such as DeFlock and Eyes on Flock collect reported camera sightings, including systems operated by Flock, Motorola Solutions, Axis Communications, and other companies.

Another website, Have I Been Flocked, allows users to check whether law enforcement agencies searched for their license plates.

The searchable information comes from Flock Transparency Portals and audit logs obtained by volunteers through public records requests.

Residents can also submit records they obtain about automated license plate readers to the website.

That public participation has helped reveal how broadly these systems are being used, even as officials and contractors offer limited information about where cameras are installed and which agencies can access the resulting data.

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Flock cameras continuously record passing vehicles while the company software analyzes what they see.

When a vehicle matches a law enforcement description, the system can immediately alert authorities and provide location information that could help officers track it.

The artificial intelligence software also creates searchable descriptions for each recorded vehicle.

According to Flock, officers can search using incomplete phrases such as “man in blue shirt and cowboy hat” or “dark SUV with rear bumper damage,” expanding the system well beyond a basic license plate lookup.

Flock Safety says its cameras do not collect facial recognition data, personal information, or information directly tied to specific individuals.

Still, local jurisdictions may decide to share vehicle data with a national database, giving agencies far beyond the camera location potential access.

The company says images are usually deleted automatically after a designated period, commonly 30 days, unless local law requires another policy.

Of course, a temporary government database can still reveal plenty about where Americans travel, which explains why privacy advocates remain deeply skeptical.

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Damaging one of the cameras could lead to serious criminal charges under Florida law.

Florida Statute 806.13 states, “A person commits the offense of criminal mischief if he or she willfully and maliciously injures or damages by any means any real or personal property belonging to another, including, but not limited to, the placement of graffiti thereon or other acts of vandalism thereto.”

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Each Flock camera costs roughly $2,500, and damage that interrupts a public service could be treated as a felony.

The offense could carry as much as 30 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, making vandalism a particularly foolish way to protest the technology.

Flock recently introduced an optional Camera Protection Plan that agencies can purchase annually.

The plan covers unexpected camera damage caused by vandalism or natural disasters, with covered license plate reader and video cameras repaired or replaced without additional cost when qualifying damage occurs.

There is no complete way for motorists to opt out of being recorded.

Flock does allow participating homeowners associations and neighborhoods to place residents on a “SafeList,” which marks their vehicles as belonging to residents and allows those images to be filtered from certain searches.

Resistance is growing in some communities.

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More than 82 Flock Safety contracts have reportedly been terminated across 28 states since 2021, with nearly half of those cancellations occurring during the first six months of this year.

For Americans wondering whether a silent digital lookout is watching their street, volunteer maps and public records may be the best available answer.

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