Flock Safety has built a billion-dollar empire by tracking the daily movements of millions of Americans through a network of 120,000 automated license plate readers (ALPRs). But when the tables are turned, and someone dares to point a camera back at them, the surveillance giant is suddenly terrified of being watched.
In a glaring display of corporate hypocrisy, an investigative report from Atlanta News First recently went viral after a Flock Safety employee called 911 on an award-winning journalist simply for filming a camera installation on a public street.
The Watchers Hate Being Watched
The incident, which took place in Milton, Georgia, on August 19, 2026, was part of a broader investigation led by Peabody and Emmy award-winning journalist Brendan Keefe. Tracking the controversial expansion of the ALPR network, Keefe spotted a technician upgrading a camera near his home.
Keefe parked his marked news van at a distance and “pulled out my press placard, my yellow vest and a news camera”. Rather than answering questions, the technician panicked. “He quickly put away his ladder, jumped in the car, and took off at a high rate of speed,” Keefe reported.
As Keefe legally followed several cars behind to document the next public installation, the Flock employee called 911…