Cameras Recorded All Aspects of Your Vehicle and Shared Them Publicly | Carscoops

      Public safety cameras continuously monitor vehicles and individuals, raising genuine concerns about security vulnerabilities.

      License plate cameras keep track of cars around the clock, even in the absence of criminal activity.

      Researchers have discovered that surveillance systems are currently accessible online.

      Texas is examining licensing matters related to camera technology.

      Years ago, a quiet agreement was made. Automatic license plate readers installed on police vehicles promised to enhance safety in exchange for a measure of privacy. However, the terms of that agreement appear to be shifting.

      An increasing body of evidence indicates that the exchange may have been far more imbalanced than initially acknowledged, and the surveillance network does not limit itself to capturing criminals; it also records you and your vehicle.

      A recent report by Benn Jordan, in collaboration with 404 Media, reveals that numerous public safety cameras, including those associated with Flock Safety, can be viewed online without encryption, passwords, or any form of authentication.

      Who Can Observe You?

      In essence, anyone with the correct web address can access archived footage or even view live security camera feeds. This is not merely a hypothetical risk. Jordan was able to observe families packing vehicles, individuals departing their homes, joggers on paths, and drivers navigating through cities in real-time.

      He was also able to utilize other publicly available resources to not only identify these individuals but also ascertain their home addresses, daily activities, and, in some instances, any medical concerns they might have. If he can do this, one can only imagine what someone with malicious intent could accomplish.

      Not Just License Plates Anymore

      From a vehicle perspective, these systems do more than just recognize license plates; they record the type of car, notable bumper stickers, dents, and various attributes of each vehicle that passes by. Every commute, trip, or late-night drive can be cataloged into a searchable database, even when no crime is involved.

      Civil liberties advocates argue that this creates a lasting record of innocent driving behavior, maintained by third-party vendors and accessed with diminishing justification.

      In Texas, state troopers are investigating Flock Safety regarding licensing matters, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. Authorities state that the company operated for years without a necessary private investigator license and briefly had its security license suspended in 2025 due to lapses in insurance.

      While Flock attributes these issues to administrative oversights, legal experts caution that inadequately licensed surveillance could jeopardize criminal cases and the data collected on vehicles.

      Increasing Legal Resistance

      In other states, such as Washington, police have dismantled similar safety cameras following a judge's ruling that the photos and videos they gather are considered public records under the law.

      The concern is not solely about law enforcement tracking criminals; it is that these cameras are monitoring everyone, and their access is indisputably open to numerous individuals, some of whom may have harmful intentions.