Flock cameras are quickly becoming the bane of citizens’ existence, and America’s network of automatic license plate readers (ALPR) is increasingly under public scrutiny. Now, there’s an app that can show you how many devices owned by surveillance company Flock Safety are in your neighborhood. As reported by the New York Times, DeFlock Maps is a crowdsourced app that seeks “surveillance transparency” that pinpoints ALPRs, including Flocks, on a map. SEE ALSO: What are Flock cameras and why are they so controversial? The map uses crowdsourced data from DeFlock contributors and is powered by the open source OpenStreetMap project. According to the app’s website, “camera locations come from volunteers and the OpenStreetMap community, not from a private company or government agency.” The pinned devices include not only Flock cameras but also those from Motorola Solutions, Genetec and other unnamed technology companies. However, Flock cameras represent more than 80 percent of mapped devices. “Mass surveillance infrastructure is rapidly expanding in our communities, often without public knowledge or consent,” the DeFlock user guide reads. “DeFlock makes the surveillance infrastructure visible. By documenting these devices and uploading the data to OpenStreetMap, we create a transparent and searchable record of the surveillance apparatus in our communities. Knowledge is power and transparency is the first step towards accountability.” Mashable Light Speed fleet of devices, which capture and analyze images of passing vehicles using cameras, have become controversial as “spooky surveillance”, with one Minnesota town having all of its devices stolen. Flock says its national network includes more than 120,000 cameras in 49 states, “providing agencies with a broader view of vehicle movement and a deeper set of investigative leads.” As Mashable’s Olivia Tauber writes: “The cameras are used by police departments, businesses, schools and homeowners associations, which can turn a passing car into a searchable record containing its license plate, location, color, model and even details like bumper stickers or dents.” Featured video for you The digital tool protecting Ukrainian architecture from war DeFlock currently has 128,988 tracked devices, 82 percent of which are marked as owned by Flock Safety, meaning the site has 105,770 Flock devices pinned (just under 90 percent of the total declared by Flock). Notably, DeFlock says in its user guide that it does not collect user data, stipulating that “everything remains on your device except what you choose to upload to OpenStreetMap.” You can learn more about Flock cameras in Mashable’s explainer and check if there are devices in your neighborhood on DeFlock Maps. Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or directly to your device? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or receive push alerts from Mashable today.
