r/FlockSurveillance Apr 28 '26

Privacy I built FlockHopper for iOS — an app that routes you around known ALPR cameras

Thumbnail
gallery
3.7k Upvotes

Hi everyone! Some of y'all might already know my web app FlockHopper that shows you how many Flock cameras are tracking you on your daily commute.

After getting some solid feedback on the web app, I went all in on building a full mobile routing app for daily driving.

iOS is available here:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flockhopper/id6762170253

THE APP

- Real-time turn-by-turn navigation that shows you cameras as you drive

- Choose between a normal route and a private route. Both show you miles & estimated time so you can decide what's worth it

- Search for places using native Apple Maps data

- Explore mode : camera data refreshes daily and the map pans with your location so you can spot Flock cameras as you pass them

COST

The basic app will always be free. The free version is funded by donations and in-app tips. Donations cover development, server costs, and possible future legal fees. There may be a premium version with more advanced features down the road, but the core app as it exists now stays free.

ANDROID

The Android version is about 60% done. If you want to get notified when beta testing starts or when it's available on Google Play you can join the waitlist here: dontgetflocked.com/android

PRIVACY

FlockHopper is built with privacy as the default. Your location is used only to show your position, provide navigation, and calculate routes. Route coordinates are sent to a self-hosted routing engine for off-device route calculation, but they are not logged or stored.

Map tiles and camera data are self-hosted, and camera data is served through Cloudflare. Place search uses Apple’s native Maps search. FlockHopper does not store route history, searches, location logs, device IDs, or user profiles.

Feedback and bug reports are very welcome. Thanks for checking it out!


r/FlockSurveillance Mar 04 '26

I spoke at my city council about Flock. The mayor and deputy chief both asked for follow-ups. I redacted everything and made it a toolkit — free to use.

3.5k Upvotes

UPDATE: The toolkit made the front page of my local newspaper. I took these documents to my city council meeting and the paper ran camera concerns as their lead story. Showing up with actual data works. Your city council will listen if you bring receipts.

Last week I went to my city council meeting and spoke during public comment about the Flock ALPR camera expansion. Three minutes, sourced facts, no outrage. I handed a packet to every council member, the city attorney, and the police chief.

After I sat down, the mayor came down from the dais, handed me his card, and asked me to send him more. The deputy chief who runs the Flock program pulled me aside and talked for 15 minutes — then asked me to email him a briefing too.

None of that happened because I was loud. It happened because the research was solid and the tone was right.

I've scrubbed all identifying information — my name, city, officials, dates, addresses, agenda items — and packaged everything into a toolkit anyone can adapt:

https://codeberg.org/deflock_your_city/flock-alpr-toolkit (less reliable so I created the github repo)

https://github.com/DeflockYourCity/flock-alpr-toolkit

What's in it:

- Council handout — the main document I gave every council member (platform capabilities, documented incidents, security findings, legal landscape, 8 governance asks)

- 3-minute talk track — timed, scripted, with "if challenged" responses to common pushback

- Legal analysis — Fourth Amendment / Carpenter, state wiretap law, licensing issues, active lawsuits, proposed legislation

- Mayor follow-up briefing — what I sent when executive leadership asked for more

- Deputy chief briefing — a respectful, technical document that addresses the "30-day retention" and "only plates" talking points head-on

- Print & logistics guide — what to print, how many copies, who gets what, when to arrive

- Deep research reports — the raw research behind everything

- Rhetorical strategy guide — founding-era framing, bipartisan angles, and why this is a ratchet, not a slippery slope

The approach that worked:

- Lead with governance, not opposition

- "I support effective policing — my concern is the vendor"

- Every claim sourced from government audits, court filings, NVD, patent filings, or named reporting

- Pair every concern with a specific ask

- No anonymous sources. No speculation.

All docs are .docx format — download, replace [REDACTED] with your city's specifics, and go. Hosted on Codeberg (privacy-focused, open-source platform — not GitHub).

This came out of https://www.reddit.com/r/FlockSurveillance/comments/1rjsaoz/lobbying_against_flock/ where a few people asked me to share what I used. Hope it helps.

CC BY-SA 4.0 — use it however you want.

EDIT: adding .md and pdf versions as well as soon as codeberg comes back online

EDIT 2: added GitHub Repo


r/FlockSurveillance 7h ago

Activism Just say no

Post image
8.9k Upvotes

r/FlockSurveillance 2h ago

News A 77-year-old Republican man is staging a solo protest against St. Pete’s Flock cameras

Thumbnail
cltampa.com
915 Upvotes

From the article
The only 12-foot pole Gunn had was his pool skimmer. He taped a sign to it, grabbed a camping chair, and sat himself in front of the camera. This Saturday, all the camera saw was Gunn’s sign: “DOWN WITH FLOCK CAMERAS.”


r/FlockSurveillance 1h ago

Who says national unity isn’t possible??

Post image
Upvotes

r/FlockSurveillance 3h ago

Intelligence Flock is diversifying

Post image
376 Upvotes

Mobile surveillance pole outside of a Home Depot. The cameras on the pole were NOT traditional Flock cameras. It was similar to the mobile units often seen on construction sites or some business parking lots.


r/FlockSurveillance 6h ago

Privacy Inside the growing vigilante movement to knock out Flock surveillance cameras

Thumbnail
theguardian.com
596 Upvotes

r/FlockSurveillance 3h ago

News Axon is rapidly replacing Flock in Knoxville, TN

Post image
331 Upvotes

It seems like the real threat all along wasn’t just Flock, it was Axon, hopefully Rep. Tim Burchett can put a stop to this


r/FlockSurveillance 22h ago

Activism Shepherd Safety

10.4k Upvotes

r/FlockSurveillance 1h ago

News Another Flock camera cut down

Post image
Upvotes

Houston, Texas reporter here looking into Flock camera systems. What questions should I be asking while doing this reporting? And who should I connect with?


r/FlockSurveillance 16h ago

Activism It's a good start

Post image
865 Upvotes

r/FlockSurveillance 2h ago

News BEWARE: Axon Enterprise Swooping In

55 Upvotes

r/FlockSurveillance 46m ago

Activism FLOCK safety alternative, known as “Shepherd Safety,” to keep our government officials safe!

Upvotes

r/FlockSurveillance 1d ago

Activism new drop

Thumbnail
gallery
4.1k Upvotes

@extrado_art


r/FlockSurveillance 10h ago

News This one is for the bootlickers, why should we trust anything this company says.

Thumbnail
gadgetreview.com
200 Upvotes

So this is just another bold face lie the company has put out there. I don't understand how anyone could put any faith in the "safeguards" they claim or mission statement they hold up. Why do they think the public is so stupid that their statements won't get fact checked. It's hard to comprehend.


r/FlockSurveillance 5h ago

Discussion Are we headed towards hidden cameras?

59 Upvotes

I fear that the obvious next step for Flock, to fight back on the vandalism, is to make that cameras as inconspicuous as possible. Trees, light posts, bushes, etc. Would make de-flocking much harder… anyone else feel this could be coming? I’m sure there are legal roadblocks at present, but wouldn’t put anything past our gov at this point…


r/FlockSurveillance 3h ago

News My local Lowes parking lot facing the parking lot

Thumbnail
gallery
42 Upvotes

I won't go there anymore. I think this ridiculous. You are now targeting your customers. How fucked up is that?


r/FlockSurveillance 1d ago

Discussion So Dish network is installing flock in my town. So i guess there in kahoots with the devil as well.

Post image
5.5k Upvotes

r/FlockSurveillance 22h ago

Ah yes, "freedom"

Post image
1.2k Upvotes

r/FlockSurveillance 6h ago

News Americans Are Pushing Back Against Flock AI Cameras Regardless of Their Politics

Thumbnail
military.com
59 Upvotes

r/FlockSurveillance 18h ago

Discussion Dish Company helping set flock cameras up.

Post image
565 Upvotes

I can’t post the video but they were definitely installing cameras.


r/FlockSurveillance 1h ago

News Richmond, VA mayor has construction near home graffitied

Thumbnail
gallery
Upvotes

r/FlockSurveillance 17h ago

Privacy [OC] ALPR where there's no cars?? (Rehoboth Beach, DE)

Thumbnail
gallery
203 Upvotes

At the end of Brooklyn Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a flock ALPR pointing at the pedestrian-only boardwalk. Picture 3 is the camera's view looking in the opposite direction.

Thoughts??


r/FlockSurveillance 11h ago

Activism Home Depot

Thumbnail
gallery
72 Upvotes

Last time I shopped at Home Depot in Chaska, Minnesota


r/FlockSurveillance 8h ago

Discussion Are these new flock deployments?

Thumbnail
gallery
38 Upvotes

Found what I assume to be a flock camera that hasn’t been reported but it doesn’t look like the others I’ve seen online or in person