ACLU: Flock Safety Repeatedly Misled City Councils and Police
Original: Flock Credibility Lost as It Repeatedly Lies to City Councils, Police, & Public
Why This Matters
The case highlights growing accountability concerns around ALPR vendors supplying mass surveillance infrastructure to local governments.
The ACLU documented a pattern of Flock Safety providing false information to government officials. In Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the company's CISO denied heat map tracking features during a city council meeting in April 2026. The council revoked its contract the following day after discovering the denial was false.
The ACLU published a report on July 2, 2026, documenting what it describes as a repeated pattern of Flock Safety — a major automatic license plate reader (ALPR) provider — misleading city councils, police departments, and the public about its products and practices. During an April 2026 Oshkosh, Wisconsin city council meeting, Flock Safety's chief information security officer stated the company's ALPR system did not 'create a pattern or heat map of an individual's movement.' The council approved a contract that evening. The following morning, the city learned the statement was false, prompting an emergency reconvening of the council. Deputy Mayor Joe Stephenson stated, 'I don't know how this body can govern if someone tells untruths.' Mayor Matt Mugerauer added, 'If you give bad information, then I just don't want to work with you.' The council voted to revoke the contract — just one day after approving it. Flock Safety later admitted its system does produce heat maps showing vehicle capture locations for up to one month, but characterized the incident as 'one small misconception' and 'a minor nuance.' The ACLU states the Oshkosh incident is not isolated and reflects a broader pattern of Flock misrepresenting its operations, privacy commitments, and safety record to prospective government clients.