Documented Incident
Mill Valley suspends Flock license plate readers and live cameras over data-sharing concerns
Event: September 9, 2026 · First reported: October 21, 2026 · 1 source
Mill Valley has suspended use of its Flock Safety license plate readers and live-feed cameras, which the city says have been switched off since Sept. 9, 2026. The pause followed repeated objections from residents at City Council meetings about how ALPR data is shared with outside agencies, including federal immigration enforcement. Vice Mayor Caroline Joachim said the city sought legally binding changes to Flock's terms of use but found the company's written attestation inadequate. A Flock spokesperson said conversations with the city are ongoing.
Mill Valley's pause shows a city reconsidering ALPR use even after adopting narrow retention limits and restricted sharing agreements, raising the question of whether contractual guardrails alone can satisfy local privacy expectations.
Key facts
- Mill Valley entered a two-year contract with Flock Safety in February 2025; the cameras have been off since Sept. 9, 2026.
- The city's configuration excluded facial recognition and set retention at 72 hours for two live-feed cameras and one week for six license plate readers.
- Joachim said Flock revised its terms of use without the city's consent and that the company's legal attestation on data ownership and machine-learning use fell short of amending the terms.
- The Central Marin Police Authority announced in August it would not renew its Flock contract; the Marin County Board of Supervisors adopted a new data-sharing policy the same month.
- Flock chief legal officer Dan Haley said in an Aug. 21 blog post that the company strengthened customer protections, though the article notes the updates do not apply to all customer agreements.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Marin County city turns off Flock surveillance cameras after residents raise data - sharing concern (eastbaytimes.com, October 21, 2026)
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BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.
Updated October 21, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.