Eleven mystery Flock cameras were uncovered in a Florida county without permits or publicly known owners — raising concerns over who or what is watching from above, according to a report.
uncertain
who → uncover → report
The unnerving discovery was made in St. Lucie County after the county opted to remove the high-tech, controversial Flock surveillance cameras used to monitor traffic and track drivers, the Washington Post reported.
asserted
Post → make → drivers
County officials initially thought only 52 cameras were operating in their area, but a sweep uncovered 14 unpermitted devices in operation.
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sweep → think → operation
The county sheriff’s office claimed three as their own, leaving 11 rogue cameras unaccounted for — leaving locals in the dark about who actually controls the sensitive data being collected.
“I’m not happy about it unless I know who it is,” 70-year-old resident Todd Richter told the outlet, adding “and I don’t.”
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I → claim → outlet
It was not immediately clear why the sheriff’s office did not request permits for the cameras.
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office → request → cameras
Representatives of the county told the Washington Post that they placed notices on the unidentified units and gave owners from Oct. 16 to Oct. 20 to remove them, depending on when the notice was posted.
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notice → tell → them
If no one claims the cameras, county workers plan to wrap plastic bags over their lenses.
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workers → claim → lenses
A Flock spokesperson told WaPo that while they often handle permits “where required, but permitting requirements vary by jurisdiction and are not necessary in every location.”
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requirements → tell → location
Flock said it reached out to St. Lucie County officials and is “happy to work with them directly to review the cameras in question and address any discrepancies,” the company added in an email.
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company → say → email
County officials haven’t said whether they’ll take Flock up on the offer.
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they → say → offer
Ty Grant, 28, lives a few hundred feet from a Flock camera in Fort Pierce.
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Grant → live → Pierce
When the newspaper informed Grant that it is not known who installed the camera, he became frightened.
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he → inform → camera
“That makes me feel very unsafe,” Grant said.
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Grant → make → ?
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis directed the Florida Department of Transportation to revoke existing permits for automated license-plate scanning systems, including products developed by Flock after public outcry regarding privacy.
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DeSantis → direct → privacy
The controversial AI-powered cameras, and others like them, have been used nationwide — including in the tristate.
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cameras → power → tristate
Nassau County drivers pass a Flock Safety camera roughly every 9.5 miles, making local residents among the most closely tracked in the nation, according to a Post analysis of independent data.
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residents → pass → data
The suburban county now boasts over 330 Flock Safety cameras mapped across 3,200 miles of road — placing Nassau in the top 100 US counties for camera density, according to data from DeFlock, an activist group tracking the company’s expansion.
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county → boast → expansion
That ranks Nassau residents in the top 3% of America’s most closely watched drivers.
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That → rank → drivers
More than half a dozen Connecticut towns — including Vernon, Bridgeport, Danbury, Shelton, Stratford, North Haven, and New Haven — signed contracts with BusPatrol to mount license-plate-reading cameras on school bus fleets to catch drivers blowing past flashing red lights.
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towns → include → lights
Company technicians log the violations and hand the footage over to local cops.
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technicians → log → cops
Figures in major corporations and the federal government have warned the public about the proliferation of Flock cameras, noting that oversaturated surveillance can degrade public privacy.
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surveillance → warn → privacy
On Fox News’ “Saturday in America” Pentagon AI police director Mark Beall warned that Flock cameras and other similar tools could turn communities into a “China-like surveillance state.”
“We have to be careful that we don’t go too far to the other direction and create a China-like surveillance state, which is literally what AI capabilities will ultimately enable and are enabling right now,” Beall said.
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Beall → warn → what
Flock and representatives for St. Lucie County and its sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for clarification or comment.
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Flock → respond → clarification
The Aporia
