Flock Wants a Closely Surveilled World with No Exit

Langley, a tech entrepreneur and former engineer, founded Flock in 2017 after experiencing repeated thefts in his Atlanta neighborhood. Desperate for a solution, he sought help from his local police precinct, only to be told that catching criminals required eyewitness accounts or surveillance footage. This conversation inspired Langley to create Flock, a venture that would eventually develop license-plate-reading cameras using Android phones and solar panels.

These cameras were sold to homeowners' associations and private communities, eventually catching the attention of law-enforcement agencies. By 2020, Flock cameras were visible on public roads across the country, working in partnership with local police departments. The cameras have since evolved to record more than just license plates, including vehicle models and colors, and are controlled by the entity operating them.

Law-enforcement can use this information for arrests and evidence without a warrant. Flock's valuation is now over eight billion dollars, with major investments from venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Over forty percent of U.S. law-enforcement agencies have contracts with the company, and more than a hundred thirty thousand cameras monitor roads in every state except Alaska.

These cameras have been credited with aiding in arrests, breaking up crime rings, and solving missing-person cases. However, the growing surveillance infrastructure has faced backlash, with nearly half of Americans opposing A.L.P.R.s (automated license-plate readers) like Flock. The company's tactics, including a controversial app called DeFlock, aimed at mapping and tracking Flock cameras, have sparked disputes and damaged property.

Despite the criticism, the International Association of Chiefs of Police endorses automated license-plate readers, calling them a "crime-fighting star."