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Influencers are urging Home Depot and Lowe's to drop Flock

A group of online creators with a combined 46 million followers is demanding Lowe's and Home Depot — two of the largest home-improvement stores in the US — to cut ties with Flock Safety amid a nationwide campaign against large retailers that may have contracts with the surveillance tech company.

In a letter sent Friday morning to the companies' executives, 56 content creators called on Lowe's and Home Depot to "terminate all its contracts with Flock Safety" and remove the company's automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, from their parking lots.

The letter raised concerns that data gathered by the cameras could be accessed by federal or local law enforcement agencies to target immigrant day laborers and other shoppers.

"By participating in Flock's network, you are endangering the safety of customers, especially the immigrants and people of color who shop at your stores," an email that was sent to the executives and viewed by Business Insider said.

Flock cameras collect license plate and vehicle data. A company spokesperson said Flock has more than 5,000 private sector clients, including retailers, healthcare institutions, small businesses, and places of worship.

Law enforcement officers have previously told Business Insider that Flock's technology has helped their agencies solve crimes. Flock says it helps businesses and communities prevent and investigate crime, including organized retail crime. Business Insider also has reported that Flock cameras can misread license plates, leading law enforcement to the wrong people.

The company has become a flash point amid broader concerns over mass surveillance technology and privacy.

Fight For The Future, a nonprofit digital rights advocacy group that organized the content creator-led campaign, has pointed to a May 2025 report from 404 Media that found local and state police agencies were running searches in Flock's nationwide ALPR network for ICE and immigration-related probes.

The report did not establish that ICE itself had direct access to Flock's system, but showed how local agencies could use the network on ICE's behalf even though the federal agency does not have a formal contract with Flock.

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Dive deeper

  • A group of online creators with a combined 46 million followers is demanding Lowe's and Home Depot — two of the largest home-improvement stores in the US — to cut ties with Flock Safety amid a nationwide campaign against large retailers tha
  • In a letter sent Friday morning to the companies' executives, 56 content creators called on Lowe's and Home Depot to "terminate all its contracts with Flock Safety" and remove the company's automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, from th
  • The letter raised concerns that data gathered by the cameras could be accessed by federal or local law enforcement agencies to target immigrant day laborers and other shoppers.
  • "By participating in Flock's network, you are endangering the safety of customers, especially the immigrants and people of color who shop at your stores," an email that was sent to the executives and viewed by Business Insider said.
  • Flock cameras collect license plate and vehicle data. A company spokesperson said Flock has more than 5,000 private sector clients, including retailers, healthcare institutions, small businesses, and places of worship.
Read the original article on Business Insider ↗

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