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Flock pitched a roaming license-plate scan network using rideshare dashcams
The leaked presentation outlines an expansion that would have untethered Flock Safety cameras, but the Nexar partnership was never executed.
A leaked Flock presentation shows the surveillance company pitching a plan to use rideshare and delivery dashcams to scan license plates while vehicles are in motion, effectively turning about 350,000 Uber, Lyft, and delivery cars into a moving automatic license-plate reader network. According to Decrypt, the document describes a planned Nexar partnership in which Nexar cameras already installed in large numbers of vehicles would capture plates of cars those drivers passed. Flock said the Nexar deal was never executed, and it is unclear whether drivers or the rideshare or delivery apps knew about the proposal. The pitch contrasts with Flock’s core product, fixed cameras mounted on poles that log plate details such as color, make, and model to build a searchable map of vehicle movement. Decrypt reports the roaming approach would have filled gaps between fixed sites and tracked plates across regions in real time, a roaming model previously offered in other law enforcement contexts. The proposal comes as Flock faces mounting scrutiny and contract setbacks. Decrypt reports that the LAPD let its contract expire, citing serious concerns over civil liberties and privacy, and CNN documented at least two dozen officer-abuse cases tied to the system, while legislative restrictions on automatic license-plate readers are expanding across states. Flock also reached an $8.4 billion valuation in April, with its stationary cameras now covering more than 5,000 U.S. communities, according to Decrypt.