Surveillance company Flock is facing growing backlash, with social media users organising a "De-Flock America" campaign urging people to vandalise the firm's automated license plate readers (ALPRs) on Halloween 2026. The campaign follows mounting criticism of Flock's technology, including reports of ICE agents accessing local police forces' systems and officers using it to stalk former partners, alongside a rising number of vandalism incidents targeting the cameras. When approached for comment, The Register received only an automated reply from Flock's media team.

The backlash comes days after CEO Garrett Langley apologised following revelations that a woman was stalked using the company's ALPR system, and after The Washington Post reported 46 cases of US police officers abusing their access to Flock's data. In response, Flock has cut its standard data retention period from 30 to seven days, though a new "Evidence Mode" lets police retain data longer for ongoing cases. The company has also introduced controls letting agencies restrict outside forces from running certain searches, such as those related to immigration enforcement, and will make its "Audit Assistance" misuse-detection tool mandatory for customers by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the "De-Flock America" campaign generated over 36,500 posts on X within two days, encouraging participants to wear costumes and disable nearby cameras while concealing their identities.