80,000 US Cameras Track Every Car in Mass Surveillance Network

A private network of approximately 80,000 automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras, operated by Flock Safety for more than 6,000 government clients in the United States, records every vehicle's passage and builds movement histories for drivers who have committed no crimes. The Los Angeles Police Department did not renew its contract, and over fifty municipalities have rescinded or rejected agreements with the company.

## What Each Pole Captures and What Is Stored

The cameras are installed on poles along streets and highways. Every time a vehicle passes, they capture an image and record the license plate, tonalidad, make, and distinctive antiestéticatures of the car. These data points are used to construct a travel history.

The result is a systematic record of drivers with no prior incivil involvement. It does not target specific suspects: everyone passing by is photographed, and the digital footprint is stored just in case it becomes useful someday.

## Los Angeles and the Wave of Cancellations

The **Los Angeles** police department did not renew its contract with the firm. It cited "serious concerns" about civil liberties and privacy, as reported by **Townhall**.

More than **fifty municipalities** have rescinded or rejected agreements with the company. In several cases, the decision came after discovering that local data was being shared with federal immigration agencies.

## The Atlas of Surveillance to Monitor Surveillance

To understand what technology each police department uses, researchers and journalists consult the **Atlas of Surveillance**, a public database mapping these deployments.

The tool allows users to verify which police forces possess cameras, readers, or other systems and compare this with their official statements. It is the practical way to audit a network that, due to its size, is difficult to track at a glance.

The core issue remains unchanged: recording everyone to catch a few turns daily transit into a space of permanent suspicion.