Demand the mayor Block Flock, and protect people from harmful mass surveillance.

BACKGROUND:

Richmond has added approximately 100 mass surveillance cameras without public input. Automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) are cameras that use AI to track, collect, and store the movements of every traveler. They threaten the safety, liberty and privacy of millions of innocent people. The city has contracted with Flock Safety, one of the worst offenders on privacy invasion.

ALPRs can easily be abused by private companies, the police, and the government. Such abuse is already well documented and widespread. Abuses range from tracking people because of political views, sexual orientation, immigration status, intimate partners, women seeking reproductive healthcare, and racial identity. Federal agencies such as ICE and CBP, as well as other out of state agencies have accessed ALPR data.

On September 19th, Mayor Danny Avula announced that he will spend time thinking about the use of ALPRs and will immediately reduce ALPR data retention to 7 days. Additionally, the mayor said:

"We are going to listen and learn.”

Let’s make sure he hears us loud and clear. Demand the mayor remove ALPRs and commit to protecting us from harmful mass surveillance.

For more information about mass surveillance and our stance, visit https://www.dsarichmond.org/initiative/block-flock.