Surveillance and license plate camera use expands via ALPR technology

Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology is being widely deployed by law enforcement agencies, with companies like Flock Safety holding agreements with over 5,000 agencies across 6,000 communities. While Flock is a prominent provider, other companies including Motorola Solutions, Genetec, Axon, Axis Communications, and Neology also offer license plate reading capabilities.

Public concern has emerged regarding how surveillance data is shared. While Axon does not participate in nationwide law enforcement data sharing, companies like Flock and Motorola do. In response to the widespread use of these cameras, an organization named DeFlock has been established to maintain a crowdsourced map of ALPR locations, allowing individuals to track camera placement by ZIP code.