The city of Los Angeles has let a three-year contract with Flock Security expire — at least for now — amid concerns about privacy, data retention and Flock’s efficiency. license plate reading technologyas well as he travels to other cities to distance themselves from the Atlanta-based surveillance company.
Over the weekend, the Los Angeles Police Department announced it would no longer use the city’s 138 mounted surveillance cameras operated by Flock, which were used to track vehicles by automatically reading their license plates. But a few days later, at a Police Commission meeting, lawmakers said they were negotiating with Flock for a new contract that would give the LAPD more control over the management of data generated by surveillance equipment and would provide 24-hour notice of any data breach.
A few months ago, the Los Angeles Times reported with displeasure in LA about Flock possibly sharing information with the US government, including the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, although at the time the LAPD praised Flock’s cameras as “great investigative tools.”
In May, a member of the city council moved to suspend new contracts or agreements with Flock.
The LA City Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The LAPD told news outlets at the end of the contract that a sticking point in moving forward with the company is uncertainty over the data Flock collects from its cameras, including whose data it is and how it might be used once it’s collected.
In an email to CNET, a spokesperson for Flock said, “We hope that through ongoing discussions with the LAPD, we can clear up the misunderstandings that led to Friday’s disappointing suspension. We hope to resume our successful relationship with the department soon.”
Cities drop, pause or re-evaluate the Ship
Many American cities decided to part ways with Flock Safety this year, but even after the contracts ended, some continued to have problems with the company.
Dayton, Ohio, and Evanston, Illinois, both used trash bags to cover the Flock cameras preventing the company from continuing to use them.
Dayton, which temporarily suspended its Flock service, alleged that the company had committed data-sharing violations, including searches related to immigration enforcement. Evanston issued a cease-and-desist order after discovering that Flock had reinstalled the cameras the city had ordered removed.
Other cities that have canceled contracts with Flock include Mountain View and Oakland, California; Knoxville, Tennessee; Flagstaff, Arizona; Cambridge, Massachusetts; San Marcos, Texas; and Redmond, Washington.
Flock said he is aware of concerns in many cities. “We are working closely with those cities to better understand and address their issues,” a spokesperson told CNET. “So far in 2026, new city partnerships have outnumbered non-renewals by nearly 7 to 1. For every city that has opted out of its contract, roughly seven new cities have joined the Flock.”
The spokesperson added that the public “deserves thoughtful discussion and public engagement” about privacy issues raised across the country. “Our goal is to continue to partner with urban developers as they explore how these tools can best support public safety priorities,” said a Flock spokesperson.
The DeFlock website maintains a running list of city councils that have canceled contracts or rejected bids from Flock.
As DeFlock points out, Flock isn’t the only software and hardware vendor that does automated license plate reading. Others include Axon, Genetec and Motorola Solutions.
