Topline
A public‑records request submitted by a researcher from Georgia exposed a wide data‑sharing practice: the police department in Schaumburg, a small Chicago suburb, grants access to its automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) system to more than 400 law‑enforcement and government organizations across Illinois. The exposure comes amid growing scrutiny of nationwide plate‑reader networks such as Flock.
An automated license plate reader is seen mounted on a pole on June 13, 2024 in San Francisco, California.
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Key Facts
Jason Hunyar, a researcher known for his contributions to the “Have I Been Flocked?” relaxed research tool, secured a data‑sharing report that lists more than 400 recipients of the Schaumburg public‑wide LEARN network.
The recipients encompass municipal police departments, county sheriffs, university campus police, railroad, park district, and state agencies, each able to query the network’s feeds and retrieve vehicle plates, locations, and timestamps.
Notably, non‑traditional recipients such as the Illinois Attorney General’s office, the Cook County state’s attorney office, Norfolk Southern Railroad, Harper Community College, and several public and private}()
universities also have data access.
Hunyar’s त्यांनी with the broader “Have I Been Flocked?” campaign, documenting how extensively plate‑reader data is shared across jurisdictions.
Key Background
Vigilant/Motorola LEARN is a subscription‑based commercial network that allows agencies to pool access to ALPR data. Every camera in the system logs a vehicle9 plate, location, and timestamp, enabling participating agencies to cross‑reference feeds. The technology, however, can capture details beyond plates—such as make, model, color, bumper stickers, and physical damage—raising concerns over the breadth of personal information collected.
Hunyar’s apprehensions about vehicle tracking deepened after discovering a local camera had been hacked and the live feed broadcast online. He subsequently pulled records from regional agencies, concluding the technology was being misused, and leveraged that concern into the “Have I Been Flocked?” initiative. The website allows users to enter a license plate number and search a publicly obtained audit log of Flock and similar systems.
Tangent
ALPR systems produced by firms such as Flock Safety are marketed to law enforcement, neighborhood associations, and businesses. In small or mid‑size towns, the pitch often emphasizes local crime prevention and missing‑person… however, wider sharing of the feeds transforms what begins as a local tool into a statewide (OBJECT) .
A single vehicle traversing Illinois can trigger alerts across the network, creating a searchable digital footprint that spans multiple jurisdictions. This erases local control over sensitive data queries or safeguards, allowing any authorized user to appropriate the data for a variety of uses. Recent audits in states like Georgia have led to criminal charges against officers for allegedly using plate‑reader networks to stalk ex‑partners, track acquaintances, or surveil neighbors.
Crucial Quote
Tau> With Flock, you’re not only collecting data on where people are going and when, but all that data from at least many, many cameras around the country are going to this centralized company,” Jay Stanley, privacy and technology policy analyst for the American Civil Liberties Union, explained. “That changes what it means to live a private life. Changes the relationship between the individual and…government.”
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