US Cities Terminate Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reader Contracts at Record Pace

A growing wave of municipal city councils across the United States voted in August to cancel automated license plate reader (ALPR) contracts with surveillance vendor Flock Safety.

City audits revealed unapproved inter-agency data sharing practices, where license plate location logs were shared across state borders without explicit local authorization or judicial warrants.

Civil liberties organizations praised the municipal cancellations, citing risks of automated vehicle tracking networks operating without adequate oversight or data retention limits.

Flock Safety stated it is introducing strict cryptographic access controls and audit logging features to address city council concerns and restore trust.