By Ben Jenkins, Podcast Manager 

Flock cameras are becoming an increasingly common sight on the roads throughout the Cincinnati area, leading to more questions about the invasiveness of the technology. 

These cameras were intended to be used as simple license plate readers to aid in crime fighting, but with recent reports about the true uses of Flock cameras, they have become a much more controversial topic.  

According to multiple sources, they have begun to pop up closer to campus, with the closest being near the corner of Montgomery Road and Dana Avenue. These join the over 1000 reported license plate readers in the greater Cincinnati area, with nearly all being connected to Flock’s network. 

These cameras are intended to be used as license plate readers to aid in traffic violations. They also have the ability to track certain characteristics of cars. Whoever has access to this data and how it is used has begun to be a major concern for many local Cincinnati residents. 

“Flock cameras are concerning as the ability to access data has not been fully fleshed out,” sophomore Philosophy, Politics, and the Public major and lifelong Cincinnatian Will Brewer said.   

Brewer shares the concern that many do – what happens with the data after it is collected by the cameras? 

With Flock-owned cameras being operated around the country Americans not knowing where this data is going is a serious issue. This concern only grows as the network of Flock cameras continues to expand across the United States. This worry also comes from the cameras’ ability to work in unison with one another. 

Rather than a single camera recording a car in one location, the cameras can string together images to track a vehicle across vast distances.  This brings up questions about where the line is for surveillance of civilians. 

The Fourth Amendment’s application will be key going forward in the legislation surrounding Flock cameras.  

Courts have generally held that drivers have limited expectations of privacy. License plates are necessary for police operations, so the laws surrounding privacy of license plates are less rigid.  

The discussion surrounding Flock cameras will continue to shift toward what restrictions should be placed on the technology. Local and state governments have the ability to establish new rules about how the information collected can be stored, accessed, and used. These policies could determine the future of Flock cameras and whether additional privacy protections are needed as the cameras networks continue to become more widespread across the country. 

For Xavier students, this national debate is becoming an increasingly local issue as Flock cameras continue to appear throughout the greater Cincinnati area.  

The technology continues to develop faster than lawmakers can create safeguards against it. Communities will have to decide what role these cameras play in their local law enforcement and what boundaries should be placed on the surveillance cameras.     

While the future of the cameras remains uncertain, their continued expansion means questions surrounding the privacy are unlikely to subside.