Halloween Is Being Targeted as “DeFlock Day”
An online campaign is calling for action against Flock surveillance cameras on October 31, as a growing nationwide backlash over privacy, government surveillance and documented misuse continues to escalate.
Flock surveillance cameras could become a target for vandalism across the country this Halloween.
Adrian Morales
An online campaign being called “DeFlock Day” is spreading across forums and social media, with October 31 being singled out as a day to take action against the controversial surveillance cameras.
Some of the discussion centers around protesting Flock and bringing attention to privacy concerns. Other posts go considerably further, with people openly discussing covering, disabling, removing or damaging cameras.
And Halloween doesn’t appear to be a random choice.
People discussing the campaign online have pointed to the fact that millions of people will already be outside wearing costumes, masks and other disguises that night.
At this point, there does not appear to be one established national organization coordinating the Halloween campaign. Instead, the idea is spreading through different online communities and forums, making it largely decentralized.
It’s also impossible to know how many people, if any, will actually follow through on October 31.
Why Are People So Upset About Flock Cameras?
The Halloween campaign didn’t come out of nowhere.
Flock’s automated license plate readers have faced growing criticism over privacy, surveillance and concerns about how much information is being collected about people who aren’t suspected of committing any crime.
The cameras photograph passing vehicles and record information such as license plates, allowing those records to be searched later by authorized users.
One of the biggest concerns has been what happens when someone with access abuses that power.
In Florida, a Haines City police officer was recently accused of using Flock cameras to track his estranged wife more than 700 times. Other cases across the country have involved law enforcement officers accused of using license plate reader systems to track romantic partners, ex-partners and others for reasons unrelated to legitimate police investigations.
Those cases have added fuel to a much larger debate over privacy and government surveillance.
The Backlash Has Already Been Escalating
Long before the Halloween campaign began circulating, opposition to Flock cameras had already moved beyond online complaints.
Protests against the cameras have taken place in communities around the country, some cities have reconsidered or ended their relationships with Flock, and the cameras themselves have increasingly become targets of vandalism.
Cameras have been cut down, painted, stolen and otherwise damaged in incidents reported across the country.
Flock has responded to concerns over misuse by announcing additional safeguards intended to identify suspicious searches and prevent unauthorized use of its system.
Flock Cameras Map Below
Halloween Could Be the Next Flashpoint
“DeFlock Day” now appears to be the latest development in a controversy that has continued to escalate.
There is currently no way to know whether the online campaign will turn into widespread action on Halloween or remain mostly internet chatter.
But the conditions surrounding it are very real. Flock cameras have already been vandalized, protests are already taking place, documented cases of misuse have fueled privacy concerns, and opposition to the technology has continued to grow.
Now, more than two months before Halloween, people online are already pointing toward October 31.
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