This whole Flock thing is getting out of hand.
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You pull into Home Depot for some 2x4s and some concrete mix.
You park your car, grab your stuff, and head out.
Little do you know, Big Hardware has been quietly logging your every move!
From Gadget Review:
The scale here isn't theoretical. Consider what public records have already surfaced:
The Electronic Frontier Foundation identified a single sheriff's office with access to Flock cameras at 173 different Lowe's locations nationwide, according to reporting by wtpnews.org
North Carolina's State Bureau of Investigation gained access in 2023 to camera networks at 'all Lowe's stores in NC, SC and VA,' per the News & Observer
Flock Safety operates in over 5,000 communities β these two retailers represent a fraction of the total network
A federal district judge in Norfolk, Virginia ruled that mass ALPR data collection [does not constitute] a Fourth Amendment search requiring a warrant
Default Flock data retention is 30 days, though Lowe's own privacy statement says it keeps ALPR data up to 90 days
Here's a map:
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More and more people are noticing them:
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Lowe's and Home Depot swear it's all for fighting theft and keeping everyone safe β and retail theft is a real problem β but now your little trip to the hardware store could create a digital record that the cops can see and track.
Lowe's says it doesn't sell ALPR data but shares it with 'select service providers' and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Home Depot directs privacy questions to a dedicated email address. Neither retailer requires law enforcement to notify you before accessing your vehicle data.
Next time you run to Home Depot to pick up some nails, wave at that Flock camera in the parking lot that just added you to the government database!
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