<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><span class="has-underline">Amid growing concerns</span> regarding its extensive surveillance camera network, Flock Security reported this summer that it operates <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/08/02/how-police-officers-used-vast-network-cameras-spy-their-exes/">more than 120,000</a> cameras across the United States.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">However, a new map released on Wednesday by cybersecurity researcher Joshua Michael indicates that Flock’s reach is even larger. Based on location data from Flock’s database, the map reveals over 170,000 cameras and more than 130,000 additional devices that contribute to the company’s extensive surveillance network in the U.S.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Michael’s <a href="https://flocksurveillance.org/">Flock Surveillance Map</a> claims to show 300,000 surveillance devices nationwide. His findings were referenced during a Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/committee-activity/hearings/always-watching-flocks-nationwide-ai-surveillance-network">hearing</a> on Flock, which differ from existing maps of Flock’s automated license plate readers in terms of scope and methodology.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-right"><blockquote><p>“These cameras form a nationwide surveillance network that tracks where everyone drives.”</p></blockquote></figure>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Unlike crowd-sourced initiatives such as <a href="https://deflock.org/">DeFlock</a>, which rely on user-submitted locations, the Flock Surveillance Map uses location data obtained from a snapshot of Flock’s records archived by Michael in December 2025. The map includes not only cameras but also supplementary devices, such as 27,000 acoustic detection devices and networking equipment that integrates third-party cameras, to illustrate the extent of Flock’s surveillance capabilities.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“These cameras form a nationwide surveillance network that tracks where everyone drives,” Michael stated to The Intercept, “so foreign nations don’t need to send spies to harm our country. They can simply watch where our soldiers, federal agents, and politicians go.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Intercept verified the presence of Flock cameras at six random locations in Arizona indicated on Michael’s map.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Flock Surveillance Map categorizes each device by model, indicating whether it is a Flock camera, known as a Falcon, or an accompanying processing unit called a Picard. (Flock did not respond to a request for comment.)</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The accompanying <a href="https://flocksurveillance.org/table.html">searchable dataset table</a> lists each camera’s name as recorded in Flock’s database, typically including a street address and other identifying features. For instance, a camera named “FBI Pilot Camera” is located at the J. Edgar Hoover Building, the FBI headquarters in Washington.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The map not only illustrates Flock’s national presence but also highlights clusters in specific areas. For example, 860 Flock devices are located near Chicago O’Hare International Airport, at the Rosemont Public Safety Department, which provides police, fire, and emergency medical services in the suburb.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Several Flock cameras are reportedly installed in detention centers. One camera titled “C-F-23 FOXTROT MALE HOLDING 2/SHOWERS” is located at the Silverdale Detention Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><span class="has-underline">In November 2025,</span> Michael discovered a method to identify the location of Flock’s devices. By examining the company’s website, he found that Flock’s servers were leaking data through an access token that could be obtained without logging in. With this token, Michael stated he could query ArcGIS, a geographic information system platform used by Flock, to retrieve the locations of its devices.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Michael informed Flock of the vulnerability in an email on November 13, 2025, stating, “all testing was strictly non-intrusive, limited to open unauthenticated endpoints, and did not involve bypassing authentication, modifying data, or invoking any billable ArcGIS or Google operations.” After multiple follow-ups, he received a response from Flock acknowledging the findings and stating they would reach out with next steps.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Michael reported that he never received further communication from Flock.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In December 2025, he downloaded the Flock device location data and subsequently published a detailed technical <a href="https://nexanet.ai/blog/53-times-flocksafety-hardcoded-the-password-for-americas-surveillance-infrastructure">blog post</a> about his findings. Following his post, it appears that Flock addressed the vulnerability.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Despite being informed of the findings in November 2025, Flock published its own <a href="https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/has-flock-been-hacked">blog post</a> in January claiming there had been no data breaches, stating, “Flock has never been hacked, and there has not been a leak of Flock information.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Atlanta-based startup has faced increasing criticism regarding its practices and transparency. An American Civil Liberties Union <a href="https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/tracking-alpr-cameras/flock-safety-credibility-lost-as-it-repeatedly-lies-to-city-councils-police-departments-and-public-across-the-country">report</a> indicated a pattern of Flock misleading or lying about its business practices, safety record, and commitment to privacy.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Michael asserted that Flock’s claims about its data security do not align with reality, noting that the company has repeatedly stated it has never experienced a data breach, “and this was after I pulled their database of devices.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“That leaves two possibilities,” he explained. “Either they knew and chose not to disclose it for fear of bad press, or they didn’t know I exfiltrated the data at all. The first is a transparency failure. The second is a detection failure with national security implications.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">On Thursday, Michael was informed that Doppel, which describes itself as an “AI-native social engineering defense platform,” filed a trademark infringement complaint regarding his site, claiming to represent Flock. Doppel alleges that the site is using the trademark “FLOCK SAFETY” without authorization, which “may cause customer confusion / harm.” Doppel requested the site be taken down.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Michael included a disclaimer on the Flock Surveillance Map stating that the site is “not affiliated with or endorsed by Flock.”</p> <p>The post <a href="https://theintercept.com/2026/09/24/how-many-flock-devices-in-united-states-300000/">Flock Wants the Most Detailed Map of Its Surveillance Cameras Taken Offline</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theintercept.com">The Intercept</a>.</p>