Hackers who dismantled a Flock surveillance camera and analyzed its hardware and software found that the system can capture dozens of images in a single vehicle encounter, highlighting the scale of data the technology collects.
Flock Camera Captures Dozens of Images
A group of hackers known as stegan0gram removed a Flock camera and reverse-engineered its hardware and software, sharing their findings with Wired and 404 Media on Wednesday.
The outlets found that over 21 days, the camera photographed about 50,200 vehicles and generated roughly 1.6 million images.
A typical vehicle encounter produced about 28 images, while some generated more than 100.
The camera sends photos and other data to Flock through a cellular network. The reporting found that license plate and vehicle analysis appears to occur on Flock’s servers rather than on the camera itself.
Hackers Reverse Engineer Flock Technology
One hacker told the outlets, “Why just destroy them when we can reverse engineer them and find the secrets of those spying on us?”
“We liberated hardware in the field, disarmed them, and proceeded with reverse engineering of the cameras and associated solar equipment,” the hacker added.
A Flock spokesperson told The Hill that “the unauthorized removal and tampering of a Flock camera is illegal.”
Flock did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.
Flock Safety Faced Lobbying and Privacy Scrutiny
Last month, Flock Safety, known for using Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology in its cameras, faced growing scrutiny over privacy concerns.
An OpenSecrets report said the company had spent nearly $2 million on lobbying since 2025, including nearly $1.3 million in federal lobbying and about $1 million in statehouses.
The report said Flock hired former government officials as lobbyists and cited cases involving alleged misuse of its technology. It also highlighted concerns over how data collected by Flock’s AI systems could be used and controlled.
Flock Safety Faces Privacy Concerns
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) launched an investigation into Flock Safety’s nationwide license-plate camera network over access to Americans’ vehicle data and concerns about the “abuse and misuse of personal data.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called the technology “AI mass surveillance,” warning it could track Americans’ movements and citing alleged police misuse.
Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) called for a ban on Flock cameras, arguing they threatened Fourth Amendment rights and urging lawmakers to “BLOCK THE FLOCK!”
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: commercepros / Shutterstock.com
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