Americans concerned about privacy can now discover whether their vehicle license plate has been searched in Flock Safety’s nationwide surveillance network through a new website that exposes over 4.6 million license plate records from roughly 242 million searches.

How to Check Your License Plate

HaveIBeenFlocked.com allows drivers to enter their license plate number to see if it appears in Flock’s system database. The website pulls information from audit logs of searches conducted on Flock’s platform that have been made public through records requests and transparency portals. The site assures users it does not save, store, or log any license plate numbers or search terms entered into its lookup tool. According to the website, users will receive immediate results showing whether their plate has been searched by law enforcement or other Flock customers.

The independent project receives financial backing from the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation, a nonprofit supporting watchdog journalism. HaveIBeenFlocked operates with the long-term goal of becoming a nonprofit organization itself. The administrators acknowledge the service has limitations, noting significant delays of months or even years can occur between when a search happens and when it appears on their website.

Understanding Flock’s Surveillance Network

Flock Safety operates automated license plate reader cameras across the country that capture vehicle license plates along with identifying information like make and color. The company sells this data to customers including law enforcement agencies nationwide. Police departments defend the technology, claiming it helps track suspects, locate stolen vehicles, and find missing persons. A companion project called DeFlock has emerged, creating a searchable map showing Flock camera locations reported by volunteers concerned about surveillance.

Privacy Concerns and Company Response

Flock founder and CEO Garrett Langley addressed mounting privacy concerns in a recent interview, stating some surveillance worries stem from misinformation about the company’s capabilities. Langley emphasized that Flock does not track cellphones or employ facial recognition technology despite public claims. He apologized for past issues and announced the company is implementing changes to prevent misuse of data collected from their cameras. The debate highlights ongoing tensions between public safety tools and Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches, a core constitutional principle many Americans value deeply.