The ACLU of Massachusetts keeps a list of Massachusetts communities that have stopped using Flock Safety license plate readers. The list says more than 40 municipalities have rejected the cameras, and most of the entries are dated August or September 2026.
Which Massachusetts towns have stopped using Flock?
The ACLU's list is grouped by month. Recent entries include:
- Milton, whose select board voted to end the town's contract and remove the cameras.
- Nantucket, whose select board voted unanimously to end its use. Police staff have taken down the cameras.
- Barnstable, whose town council voted 7-3 to end the contract.
- Lowell, whose council voted 6-5 to pause Flock use while it reviews audits and policies.
- Cambridge, which ended its contract in December 2025 after Flock installed two new cameras while the city was still vetting the technology.
What counts as stopping?
The list includes more than contract cancellations. Some towns ended contracts or declined to renew them. Others suspended or paused the cameras while they decide. Lowell and North Attleboro are both temporary suspensions, and Rochester's cameras are inactive for 30 days while leaders consider community concerns.
The list is headed "Local Leaders Are Saying NO to Flock," but many entries describe a pause, so the difference matters when you read a specific town's entry.
Why are towns acting?
The ACLU says license plate readers let police and private companies track drivers without a warrant, and that Flock's model has enabled data sharing across the country. It says the company has been "credibly accused" of violating basic cybersecurity standards and misleading local officials.
Several entries cite specific problems. Bellingham's police department said Flock turned on AI-surveillance features it did not know about. Littleton says Flock reactivated most of its cameras after the select board had voted to disable them. The ACLU's list also notes an officer in Stow who allegedly queried the system for personal reasons, and an officer in New Bedford who allegedly used the readers to stalk an ex-girlfriend.
What changes for drivers in Massachusetts?
The list covers towns that have acted against Flock. It does not say whether those towns' cameras have been removed in every case. Some entries say the cameras were deactivated, covered or taken down. Others say only that a contract ended.
The list does not cover other cameras or other agencies. Its map uses ZIP codes rather than town borders, so highlighting is imprecise. The ACLU says Westhampton has not cut ties with Flock but is highlighted because it shares a ZIP code with a town that has. You can see mapped cameras on the camera map, and how plate readers work explains the technology.
What happens next?
The ACLU says it will update the list periodically. The page was last updated on October 8, 2026. Residents who want to know whether their own police department uses Flock can ask their local leaders, as the ACLU suggests on its page.