An underground network of privacy activists is gaining momentum in the US, with members disabling or destroying Flock surveillance cameras that have sparked widespread backlash over concerns about mass surveillance.
The movement, led by a group of vigilantes who call themselves 'NoMark' and others, targets automated license plate readers (ALPRs) made by the US company Flock Safety. These cameras snap photos of passing vehicles and run the pictures against large databases, leading to fears that they can help law enforcement keep tabs on specific license plates and the people driving these cars.
NoMark, a self-proclaimed privacy activist with over 700,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, has already taken down more than a dozen Flock cameras. He says he is driven by a desire to send a message about the dangers of mass surveillance and to combat the proliferation of these cameras across the country.
The movement is gaining momentum, with at least 33 instances of camera vandalism reported across 23 states. Flock, valued at $8.4bn, says its cameras scan license plates billions of times each month in about 6,000 communities in nearly every state in the US.
While Flock claims its ALPRs are not mass surveillance tools and that it cannot track vehicles or individual people, critics argue that these devices can sweep in people's location from an innocent act in a public space. The issue has sparked a national debate about the role of technology in law enforcement and the need for greater transparency and accountability.