Thought Flock Cameras Were Dystopian? Wait Until You Learn About Their Other Spy Tool

The company behind one of the nation’s largest roadway surveillance camera networks has expanded its technology into the skies.

Flock Safety’s Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR), which have built a massive, interconnected surveillance net across American roadways, have officially taken their technology airborne, according to a MotorBiscuit report. (RELATED: 1984 Has Arrived, And People Are Fighting Back)

As highlighted in a viral X post by Josh Walkos, Flock is rolling out “Flock Alpha”—a highly advanced, autonomous police drone designed to track vehicles and suspects from the sky.

Walkos noted the escalating nature of the tech in his post, writing,”Remember when everyone was told Flock was ‘just reading license plates’? Anyway, here’s Flock Alpha, the autonomous drone.”

After partnering with aviation software company Aerodome, Flock launched its “Drone as First Responder” (DFR) platform, expanding its surveillance network beyond fixed cameras.

Its autonomous Flock Alpha drone can launch from a weatherproof docking station in response to 911 calls, gunshot detection alerts or ALPR hits.

Officers can deploy the drone from a smartphone, and it can fly up to 60 mph, often arriving before patrol vehicles. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Keith Self Seeks To Bar Federal Agencies From Obtaining Flock Surveillance Data — Without A Warrant)

Equipped with thermal imaging, high-definition cameras and optical zoom, the drone can stream live video to dispatchers and read a vehicle’s license plate from as far as 2,000 feet away.

Flock says the system is designed to help first responders locate missing people, monitor police pursuits and assess emergencies, while privacy advocates argue it dramatically expands law enforcement’s surveillance capabilities.

Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) have warned that Flock’s growing network of cameras and sensors amounts to a nationwide surveillance system with limited oversight. (RELATED: Another Citizen Surveillance Tech Company Is Giving Flock A Run For It’s Money)

Because the company’s ALPRs collect data on all passing vehicles — not just those linked to criminal investigations — critics say adding autonomous drones with thermal imaging and long-range cameras gives law enforcement a far more expansive ability to monitor the public.

Civil liberties groups also argue that without clear limits on when the drones can be deployed, how long collected data can be stored, and who can access it, the technology could be used beyond emergency response.

They say the expansion significantly increases law enforcement’s ability to monitor and track people’s movements.