Mountain View, California voted to end their contract with Flock after residents protested the automated license plate readers.
The city council of Mountain View, California voted to end a contract for Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) systems, which use high-speed cameras and software to identify vehicle license plates and their owners.
The decision came after public outcry over the potential of unauthorized access to the camera data, reports Ryan Macasero in The Mercury News. “Earlier this month, Mountain View police revealed that an audit uncovered unauthorized access to one city camera by federal agencies between August and November 2024, stemming from a ‘nationwide’ search setting enabled by Flock Safety.”
The council voted to end the Flock contract, remove the cameras, and reject any potential replacement technology. Other Northern California cities are also re-evaluating their relationships with Flock, which manages 80,000 AI-powered cameras in 49 states, according to an October 2025 report.
Read the full story: Mass surveillance fears push Silicon Valley city to scrap automated license plate readers
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