The Americans destroy Fluke surveillance cameras

Brian Merchant, writing for Blood in the Machine, says people across the US are dismantling and destroying Fluke surveillance cameras, amid growing public outrage that license plate readers are aiding US immigration and deportations.

Flock is an Atlanta-based surveillance startup that was valued at $7.5 billion a year ago and is a manufacturer of license plate readers. It has faced criticism for allowing federal authorities access to its massive network of license plate readers and databases nationwide at a time when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement increasingly relies on data to raid communities as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

Flock cameras allow authorities to track where people go and when they go by capturing images of their license plates from thousands of cameras located across the United States. Flock claims it does not share data with ICE directly, but reports show that local police have shared their access to Flock’s cameras and databases with federal authorities.

While some communities are calling on their cities to end their contracts with Fluke, others are taking matters into their own hands.

Merchant reported cases of broken and smashed Fluke cameras in La Mesa, California, just weeks after the City Council approved the continued deployment of Fluke cameras in the city, despite a clear majority of attendees in favor of shutting them down. A local report indicated strong opposition to the surveillance technology, with residents raising privacy concerns.

Other cases of vandalism extended from California and Connecticut to Illinois and Virginia. In Oregon, six cameras were snapped to scan license plates on poles and at least one was spray-painted. A note left at the base of the severed poles said, “Hahaha get wrecked ya surveilling fucks,” reports Merchant.

According to DeFlock, a project aimed at mapping license plate readers, there are approximately 80,000 cameras across the United States. Dozens of cities have so far refused to use Fluke cameras, and some police departments have since blocked federal authorities from using their resources.

Fluke did not respond to a request for comment.