Flock Safety Wants Its 300,000-Device Network Map Taken Down

Jimmy ParkerSeptember 26, 20262

A Public Map Shows Flock’s Reach

A public map created by cybersecurity researcher Joshua Michael identifies roughly 300,000 devices tied to Flock Safety across the country. It is based on a snapshot of Flock records that Michael archived in December 2025. The map lists more than 170,000 cameras and over 130,000 other devices, including acoustic sensors and equipment that connects third-party cameras. Flock has publicly said it operates more than 120,000 cameras. The totals use different methods and count different equipment, but the map still shows the reported reach of a network that operates nationwide.

The Trademark Complaint

On Thursday, Michael received a trademark complaint from Doppel, an AI “social-engineering defense” firm that said it was acting for Flock. The demand was simple: stop using the FLOCK SAFETY mark and remove the map, citing supposed customer confusion. The site already carries a disclaimer saying it is not affiliated with Flock. Gadget Review reported that the complaint arrived less than 24 hours after a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism hearing titled “Always Watching: Flock’s Nationwide AI Surveillance Network.” Flock CEO Garrett Langley was invited but did not attend. Neither did the CEOs of Axon, Motorola Solutions, or Verkada.

DeFlock Faced a Similar Fight

This is not Flock’s first fight with camera mappers. In early 2025, Flock lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to Will Freeman, creator of the crowdsourced DeFlock map, claiming the name diluted the company’s trademark. The Electronic Frontier Foundation pushed back, noting that federal anti-dilution law carves out criticism and commentary. Freeman kept the map online, and DeFlock now catalogs well over 100,000 automatic license plate reader locations nationwide. Langley later called DeFlock a “terroristic organization” and compared camera mappers to Antifa in Forbes. After bipartisan backlash, including criticism from Tucker Carlson, he apologized and admitted the remark was a mistake. Mapping tax-funded cameras on public poles is not terrorism. It is public oversight.

Data Sharing Raises Bigger Questions

The privacy concerns go beyond the map. Prior reporting said Flock’s platform routed local plate data to federal and out-of-state agencies on a scale cities never authorized. A San Francisco class action alleged more than 1.6 million outside queries of that city’s cameras in seven months by agencies including the FBI, ICE, CBP, ATF, and DEA. Flock is a privately held Atlanta firm valued in the $7 billion to $8 billion range. Cities lease the cameras, while Flock keeps the cloud, software, and national search architecture. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies to cut off funding after reports that tens of millions of Texas dollars had been used to seed the network. Abbott put it plainly: Americans do not surrender their privacy when they drive to work, drop their kids at school, or go to church.

Lawmakers Push Back

Sen. Josh Hawley has been investigating the same data-sharing system. Fox News reported that Texas jurisdictions including Pflugerville and Hood County pulled the plug amid privacy and data-sharing fears. Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie introduced the Flock-Off Act to cut federal money for the rollout. Burlison has also criticized the surveillance state and rejected the claim that opposing Flock is anti-police.