Yahoo reported that volunteer-built databases list more than 140,000 active cameras, and it ties that number to DeFlock, a map built on OpenStreetMap. Gadget Review reported a similar 140,000 figure but described it as Flock cameras across the US, so the two outlets frame the count differently.
Both pieces are guides to public tools, not reports of a government decision. Yahoo cites the Electronic Frontier Foundation for more than 1,800 agencies that have deployed automated license plate readers.
Which maps show Flock cameras?
Yahoo describes two maps that track these cameras:
- DeFlock: more than 140,000 active cameras in the United States, with contributors logging direction, street, operator and first-reported date
- Flock Camera Locations: reportedly upward of 150,000 cameras across North America, according to Yahoo. Gadget Review does not cite this figure.
Yahoo says several features remain unverified, including Camera Watch email alerts, a 60-day visual replay of new installs, and FlockFree's ESP32 signal detection. Treat every entry as a lead rather than a confirmed inventory. Check the camera map for what FlockDetour has mapped, and read how plate readers work for background.
What changes for drivers?
Neither guide says that listing a camera on a map changes the camera. A mapped camera stays where it is.
- Neither guide reports that any city has ended a contract or turned off a camera.
- The guides do not say whether a mapped camera is run by a city, a county, the state, a business or an HOA.
Yahoo says avoiding a mapped camera removes one data point, not your exposure to the wider network. FlockHopper reportedly routes drivers around high-density surveillance corridors, but Yahoo says its CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility has not been verified.
How long does Flock keep plate data?
Both outlets say Flock's published default is a seven-day rolling deletion schedule, not the 30 days sometimes cited. Yahoo adds that customer contracts and applicable law can extend that period to as long as one year under Flock's stated conditions.
Neither outlet gives a retention period for any specific city. Your police department's contract is the place to check. Agencies that publish transparency records are listed on the agency page.
The next thing to check is your city's contract, specifically its retention clause and renewal date. The guides do not name either date for any city, so that answer has to come from the city itself.