- Published on
Proton Flock Camera Map
- Authors
- Name
- DeepHorus
A new public map lets people search by ZIP code to find Flock Safety license plate readers near their homes. It aims to show residents who is recording vehicles when they leave home. The tool uses independent research, not Flock-hosted data.
Flock cameras photograph every passing vehicle, not just those suspected of crimes, logging plate, time, and location. Vehicle Fingerprint can also record make, model, color, dents, and bumper stickers, allowing identification without a readable plate. Records go into Flock's cloud, where police can search and share them across city and state lines.
Flock says its network processes more than 20 billion vehicle reads a month across 49 states. A Washington Post review found at least 50 officers accused or charged with misusing license plate readers, often to follow people in their personal lives. Flock's system was involved in 46 of those cases.
The map's device locations come from cybersecurity researcher Joshua Michael. In November 2025, he found Flock's servers publicly exposed an access token anyone could obtain without logging in. He reported it to Flock, then published his findings and map in December.
Michael's inventory lists more than 170,000 cameras and over 130,000 other Flock devices. Flock has cited around 120,000 cameras, making the inventory's count about 40% higher. The map's publisher says it does not host or distribute the dataset.
The disclosure matters because a private company controls data that law enforcement can search and share. The ZIP-code search is meant to help residents make informed decisions and decide whether to contact municipal leaders. Flock CEO Garrett Langley was asked about misuse and data control; the source does not include his answers.
