Project for Privacy & Surveillance Accountability

09/24/2026

The nationwide backlash against ALPRs resembles the Boston Tea Party - a sentiment that is perfectly understandable given the widespread abuse and misuse of the privacy-destroying, AI-powered surveillance cameras.

G. Patrick O’Brien writes about how the Flock camera pushback is similar to how American colonists rejected growing British surveillance.

09/23/2026

New poll finds Americans overwhelming support restricting gov's ability to secretly obtain electronic records, with 49% of voters across party lines supporting Senate passage of the NDO Fairness Act.

Exclusives EXCLUSIVE: Ahead of Jack Smith Senate hearing, poll shows NDO reform has more than 2-to-1 support JS J. Charles Stauffer September 22, 2026 · 1 day ago A new national poll finds Americans support legislation restricting the federal government’s ability to secretly obtain electronic rec...

09/23/2026

Companies are betting AI-powered devices will usher in a post-smartphone era, but privacy fears worldwide could slow the adoption of such emerging technologies.

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Companies betting AI devices will usher in a post-smartphone era are fueling privacy fears around the globe that could slow adoption of the emerging technology.

09/23/2026

The Driver’s Privacy Protection Act was passed to address the privacy and safety dangers caused by the widespread availability of personal info, but advances in technology have made the implications of these questions resurface.

It also raises a larger question of what happens when a company creates information that can be used for much of the same identification and tracking purposes without a government record.

As advancements in technology allow private companies like Flock Safety to bypass the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act of 1994, experts argue that current privacy laws must be updated to regul…

09/23/2026

Privacy concerns re: AI chatbots are widespread, and those conversations are deeply personal and vulnerable to surveillance. Here's to how users can protect themselves.

Your conversations with AI chatbots are both highly personal and deeply vulnerable to surveillance. Here’s how you can protect yourself.

09/22/2026

Flock Safety has long assured communities that its automated license-plate readers securely handle the massive volume of images they collect. A hacker collective has now put that claim to the test, with disturbing results.

The findings should alarm every community that's installed these cameras: images, video, and an encryption key were found on the camera, directly contradicting Flock's assertion that someone with physical access to the camera couldn't obtain any footage. More disturbingly, it appears that Flock cameras don't just detect license plates and cars, but people as well. There was no evidence that facial recognition was in use, but the ability to detect and categorize people underscores that ALPRs read more than just license plates.

We don't condone the theft or destruction of surveillance equipment, but the findings expose a fundamental problem: once governments deploy cameras that indiscriminately collect information, that information becomes vulnerable to official misuse, theft, and security failures.

Communities should demand warrants, strict limits on collection and retention, independent security testing, and transparent audits before allowing Flock or any other company to turn their roads into a searchable surveillance network.

Full story: https://www.protectprivacynow.org/news/hacker-collective-cracks-a-flock-camera-to-find-a-trove-of-images-and-videos

09/22/2026

Nationwide backlash against Flock's AI-powered, privacy-destroying cameras is growing, and the tech has become a topic of bipartisan opposition ahead of elections.

The president, while acknowledging some people consider the surveillance technology “an infringement,” said he supports it “because of law enforcement.”

09/22/2026

Flock ALPRs are a hot-button issue nationwide, and unsurprisingly, people are divided as to whether the additional security quoted by supporters of the AI-powered surveillance cameras is worth the erosion of privacy the devices represent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpetfpupsOc

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09/22/2026

As the election approaches, this is an ideal time to ask candidates what they will do to prevent new technologies from being woven together to create the infrastructure for an American surveillance state.

From FISA Section 702 to ALPRs to data brokers to an expanded definition of "electronic communication service provider," different systems under different legal authorities raise fundamental questions re: whether government can reconstruct a person's private life without a warrant.

Here are some pointed questions about these surveillance practices to put to candidates at town halls, campaign appearances, debates, and in constituent emails.

Full story: https://www.protectprivacynow.org/news/questions-to-put-to-your-candidates-on-surveillance

09/20/2026

Public info request demands NYPD disclose the extent of previously unacknowledged relationship with Flock. Records show that officers conducted 1700 searches between March 2023 and December 2025 (and possibly continue to do so), with reasons for searches not documented for most of the instances.

NYPD Ran 1,710 Flock Searches Despite Publicly Denying Contract Press Sep 17 Written By William Owen Reasons for Searches Not Documented in Most Instances. S.T.O.P. and LatinoJustice PRLDEF Demand Records Related to Their Findings. View this email in your browser For Immediate Release September 17,....