[ DETECTION_MECHANISMS ]

Beyond Plates: SignalTrace & IoT Tracking

> 1. The Evolution: From OCR to RF Scanning

Traditionally, Flock cameras used optical character recognition (OCR) to read license plates. However, recent integrations with third-party technologies like SignalTrace by Leonardo have transformed these poles into multi-spectrum surveillance nodes.

These sensors no longer just look at metal; they sniff the airwaves.

> 2. What Can Be Detected?

According to recent reporting on the SignalTrace partnership, the system now identifies:

  • Smartphones: Scanning for Wi-Fi probe requests and Bluetooth LE signals to identify unique device fingerprints (MAC addresses).
  • Wearables: Smartwatches and fitness trackers broadcasting health or location data.
  • Infotainment Systems: Connected car modules that automatically sync with phones or broadcast vehicle IDs.
  • Pet Microchips: Yes, even RFID tags in pets are being theorized as trackable if the sensor range and frequency align, linking a specific animal to a specific household.

This creates a "Digital Twin" of the vehicle's occupants and their biological companions.

> 3. Occupancy Inference via Signal Triangulation

The most invasive capability is Occupancy Counting. By detecting how many unique wireless devices are inside a moving vehicle, the system can determine:

[CAMERA] Reads Plate: ABC-123
→
[SENSOR] Detects 3 Unique Phones + 1 Watch
→
[ALGORITHM] Infers: 4 Humans Present
→
[DATABASE] Flags: Potential Stolen Vehicle (if plate owner count mismatches)

This data is sold to law enforcement and private brokers, effectively creating a warrantless real-time census of every person on the road.

> 4. Project Nova: From Plate to Person, No Subpoena Required

According to leaked internal materials reported by 404 Media, Flock has been building a product called Nova — a people-lookup tool that uses data brokers and people-search databases to "jump from LPR [license plate reader] to person." The leaked materials include internal presentation slides, Slack chats, and recorded meeting audio obtained by 404 Media.

The goal: automatically link license plate data to individual identities without requiring a separate warrant or court order.

A Flock employee was recorded during an internal meeting describing the capability:

"You're going to be able to access data and jump from LPR to person and understand what that context is, link to other people that are related to that person [...] marriage or through gang affiliation. There's very powerful linking."

The system reportedly supports 20 different data sources that agencies can toggle on or off. Flock has confirmed that Nova is already in use by some law enforcement agencies through an early access program.

This transforms Flock's camera network — already deployed across more than 6,000 U.S. communities — from a plate-reading system into a real-time identity resolution engine, linking passing vehicles to named individuals, their associates, and their networks without judicial oversight, regardless of ever having actually committed a crime.

Learn how cities failed to stop this technology and resorted to covering lenses with trash bags.

See The Abuses →