Curious to find out if your vehicle’s license plate is part of the publicly available Flock camera audit logs? With rising privacy issues following reported misuse by some officers, this information could be crucial.
MONROE COUNTY, Ga. — A new digital tool, “Have I Been Flocked,” allows individuals to delve into public records and uncover whether law enforcement’s Flock camera systems have scanned their license plates.
Jason Hunyar, residing in Dunwoody, Georgia, began questioning the use of Flock Safety cameras after discovering what he claimed as inappropriate applications through open records requests in his locality. He collaborates with a platform that aggregates the audit logs released to the public, enabling drivers to investigate whether their license plate numbers appear.
Visitors to the site can input their license plate numbers to conduct a search. Hunyar mentioned that the website incorporates data from agencies throughout Central Georgia.
“For those residing in cities utilizing Flock, you can use ‘Have I Been Flocked’ to identify which agencies are conducting searches and what those searches entail,” said Hunyar.
The website relies on public records requests, which means its information may be incomplete, outdated or unavailable for some agencies. Hunyar encouraged residents to submit their own requests for Flock audit logs from local departments.
“People can still contribute when you’re talking about audit logs from their local agency,” Hunyar said. “It’s the people’s information. It’s our open records.”
Flock cameras use automated license plate readers to capture vehicle information. Law enforcement agencies can search the system as part of investigations, but recent allegations of misuse have increased public concern about how the technology is accessed.
Three former Bibb County sheriff’s deputies in Macon, Georgia, were arrested on Aug. 10 after an internal audit allegedly found they used Flock license plate data for personal, non-law-enforcement purposes.
A Milledgeville police major was charged with misusing Flock cameras on Aug. 13.
Caleb Reynolds, from Monroe County, said he didn’t know much about Flock cameras or the Bibb County cases.
“It’s kind of scary, the way technology is advancing so rapidly,” Reynolds said. “I’m definitely going to be looking into that website.”
Hunyar said his own concerns began after learning a camera in his neighborhood had been hacked.
“I can’t convey how unsettling it was to know that these cameras were just being broadcast live” online, he said. “It was a very unnerving feeling.”
Flock announced new privacy and accountability measures Wednesday, including reducing how long data is available from 30 days to seven days.
The company also said it will use automatic lockouts when its system flags potential misuse, preventing further searches until a supervisor reviews the activity. Existing customers may retain their current data settings unless they opt into the shorter retention period.