This week, Aug. 16-22, is a national week of action against automated license plate readers.
Automated license plate readers are solar-powered cameras, usually mounted on thin, black poles along busy roads. Many are made by a company called Flock Safety. They photograph every passing car, logging the plate, the time, the location and details like bumper stickers and body damage. That information goes into a network other police agencies can search.
In Nevada, that network has been used in ways residents were never told about.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation found that the Carson City Sheriff’s Office ran three searches corresponding to the February 2025 50501 protests, looking for two vehicles across 178 networks. In the field asking why, someone typed “protest.” Carson City was one of more than 50 agencies nationwide that ran protest-related searches, according to the EFF. The group also reported in June that the cameras were being used for immigration enforcement, including in Sparks.
The data travels, too. On New Year’s Day, police agencies in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Louisiana each searched Flock data captured in Sparks on Christmas Day, according to This Is Reno.
At least five Nevada cities and counties have Flock agreements, including Clark County, Reno and Sparks. Only 16 states have passed laws regulating these cameras. Nevada is not one of them.
Here’s how to take action:
Find the cameras near you
DeFlock maintains a crowdsourced map of reported license plate readers. Volunteers have logged 66 in and around Las Vegas alone.
Attend an event this week
Organizers are hosting town halls, educational sessions and informal meetups nationwide during the week of action.
Speak at a public meeting
In Reno, council members asked in May for a discussion of the city’s Flock contract to be placed on a meeting agenda. It hasn’t happened yet. In Las Vegas, Flock isn’t required to appear on agendas at all, but every Clark County Commission meeting ends with a public comment period where anyone can speak for three minutes on any subject in the board’s jurisdiction.
Call your lawmakers and sign the petition
Both are pushing for federal limits on the technology.
Connect with a local group
DeFlock lists organizing groups by area.
Have an event to add? Email our State Organizing Coordinator at Martin@couriernewsroom.com with details at least one week before the event date.
Not sure whether you’re registered to vote? Use the tool below to check your registration, find your polling place, and stay updated for future elections.
