Want to know where Flock cameras are on your route? This website can show you

If you've ever wondered whether an automated license plate reader (like Flock) is watching your car as you drive around town in metro Atlanta (or really anywhere, for that matter), there's a website that lets you see where many of those cameras are located.

DeFlock is an open-source project that maps automated license plate readers , or ALPRs, across the United States.

The website's interactive map allows drivers to search for cameras in their area and see where ALPRs are located along roads they travel.

That can be useful for someone planning a trip, commuting to work, or simply wanting to know where license plate readers are positioned along a particular route.

ALPRs are cameras designed to capture images of passing vehicles and automatically identify information such as license plates, vehicle makes, models, and colors. Some systems can also identify other visible characteristics of a vehicle.

Flock Safety is one of the largest companies making ALPR systems in the United States. Its cameras are used by law enforcement agencies, businesses, homeowners associations, and other organizations. Flock said its cameras capture license plates and vehicle characteristics, along with information such as the time and location of the camera capture.

Flock also said its ALPR cameras do not use facial recognition and are designed to identify vehicles rather than people. The company says searches are intended to be tied to authorized investigations, and that access is controlled by the local agency using the system.

But privacy advocates have raised concerns about how ALPR technology can be used and how information collected by the cameras is stored and shared.

Flock license plate reader technology has been the forefront of the spotlight over the course of the past few months in Georgia due to a frequent number of officers facing consequences for misuse of the technology for personal reasons, with a number of law enforcement officers also being arrested and facing charges .

That's where DeFlock comes in.

The website says its goal is to make ALPR locations easier for the public to see. Users can launch the map, search their community, and identify cameras positioned along major roads and other routes. It can also suggest alternate routes to avoid them. 

The map isn't limited to Flock cameras. DeFlock also attempts to identify other ALPR systems and provides information about different companies that manufacture the technology.

It's important to remember that the map is a community-driven project, meaning drivers shouldn't assume that every camera is included or that every listed location is up to date.

Still, for people who want to know whether ALPR technology is in use before getting behind the wheel, the website provides an easy way to check.

How to use it

Go to DeFlock.org and select the map.

From there, you can search an area and zoom in on roads and neighborhoods to see reported ALPR locations.

So if you're planning a long drive, commuting across town or simply curious about how widespread license plate readers are in your community, the map offers a way to check the route before you go.

The website is available at DeFlock.org .

'Have I Been Flocked'

"Have I Been Flocked"  lets people search public records to see whether public agencies' Flock camera systems have run their license plates.

Jason Hunyar, of Dunwoody, Georgia, said he became skeptical of Flock Safety cameras after filing open records requests in his community and finding what he described as misuse. He works with a website that compiles publicly released Flock audit logs and lets drivers search for a license plate.

Users enter their license plate information to search. 

"If your city is using Flock, you can search 'Have I Been Flocked,' search by these agencies and see what searches are being done," Hunyar said.

The website relies on public records requests, which means its information may be incomplete, outdated, or unavailable for some agencies. Hunyar encouraged residents to submit their own requests for Flock audit logs from local departments.