Flock cameras are swiftly becoming the bane of citizens' existence, with the U.S.-wide network of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) increasingly coming under public scrutiny.Now, there's an app that can show you how many devices owned by surveillance company Flock Safety are in your neighbourhood. Reported by the New York Times, DeFlock Maps is a crowdsourced app aiming for "surveillance transparency" that pinpoints ALPRs including Flocks on a map.
The map uses crowdsourced data from contributors to DeFlock and is powered by open-source project OpenStreetMap. According to the app's website, "Camera locations come from volunteers and the OpenStreetMap community, not a private company or government agency." Devices pinned include not just Flock cameras but those of Motorola Solutions, Genetec, and other unnamed tech companies. However, Flock cameras make up over 80 percent of the devices mapped."Mass surveillance infrastructure is expanding rapidly in our communities, often without public awareness or consent," DeFlock's user guide reads. "DeFlock makes surveillance infrastructure visible. By documenting these devices and uploading the data to OpenStreetMap, we create a transparent, searchable record of the surveillance apparatus in our communities. Knowledge is power, and transparency is the first step toward accountability."
