The left, right and center have finally found something to agree on: their contempt for Flock cameras, or Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR), which collect and upload photos of vehicles to law enforcement databases.  

Critics of newly installed Flock surveillance systems cite privacy concerns and fears of an institutional surveillance state that could threaten public safety. Their apprehension isn’t unfounded. Last month, the Washington Post released an exclusive feature on the misuse of Flock technology, reporting that there have been 46 documented cases of law enforcement officers using Flock for unauthorized purposes, including stalking women. Half of the cases investigated by the Post alleged officers used the technology to spy on partners, exes and other women.  

But resistance to Flock has expanded beyond showings of public opinion. Flock cameras have been vandalized, obstructed or destroyed in 36 different states. Social media is being used to document vandalism of Flock cameras and create followings for citizens who have dedicated themselves to dismantling ALPRs in their community. It certainly seems like people have had enough of big tech companies surveilling America.  

So why do we keep contributing to it?  

The prevalence of Flock vandalism on social media is its own form of surveillance – Americans commit crimes against “Big Brother” and can’t help but submit evidence of it to a bigger, more accessible database. It’s become second nature to tell on ourselves for attention, to report our most embarrassing or socially (in this case, literally) incriminating moments to an audience of prying eyes. More commonly, we use social media to shame and denigrate the actions of others. Apps like X, Instagram and TikTok thrive off non-consensual photos or videos of people deemed to be bad actors, which could include everyone from a skeevy guy on the subway to a woman in a cringe outfit at the bar. 

We are afraid of what people with access to Flock cameras could do to us and what we could be witnessed doing, and yet! We keep our phones within reach, our fingers on the trigger, ready to expose anything and everything to the panopticon. Citizens may wonder how Flock was implemented in the first place, how tech with such dangerous potential was seemingly set up overnight. The truth is we already consented to it.  

The backlash toward Flock is a promising sign of solidarity, resistance and political advocacy among Americans. I can only hope it encourages us to think deeper about the things we voluntarily offer to big tech. Dismantling a culture of surveillance keeps the institution at the door.