CITIZENS FOR SURVEILLANCE TRANSPARENCY

A public awareness effort focused on the automated surveillance tools used by law enforcement agencies across America — and the networks that share the data between them.

THE SURVEILLANCE TOOLS

FLOCK
Automated license plate reader cameras mounted on poles in neighborhoods across the country. Scans and records every vehicle that passes, storing plate numbers, vehicle make, model, color, and unique features. Deployed by over 5,000 law enforcement agencies.
VIGILANT (MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS)
The largest commercial ALPR database in the United States. Contains billions of plate scans collected from law enforcement, private companies, and repo agencies. Searchable by police without a warrant in most jurisdictions.
BABEL STREET
Scrapes publicly available social media posts and builds psychological and behavioral profiles. Used by federal agencies including the Department of Homeland Security and the IRS Criminal Investigation division.
LOCATE X
Tracks the physical location of cell phones using advertising data purchased from data brokers. No warrant required. Used by CBP, ICE, the Secret Service, and other federal agencies to track individuals in real time.
MALTEGO
Link analysis software that maps relationships between people, organizations, phone numbers, email addresses, social media accounts, and other data points. Used by law enforcement and intelligence agencies worldwide.
FOG REVEAL
Tracks approximately 250 million cell phones through advertising data collected from common mobile apps. Provides location history searchable by law enforcement without judicial oversight. Used by local and federal agencies.

THE NETWORKS THAT SHARE IT ALL

Regional Information Sharing Systems — 10,800 agencies across every state — federally funded
MAGLOCLEN
MI, NY, NJ, OH, PA, IN, DE, MD, DC + Canada
MOCIC
IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI
NESPIN
CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT
RMIN
AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY
ROCIC
AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV
WSIN
AK, CA, HI, OR, WA

WHEN SURVEILLANCE TOOLS ARE USED AS WEAPONS

STEINER v. eBAY INC.
U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts — Case No. 1:21-cv-11181
In 2019, eBay's former Senior Director of Safety and Security — a former FBI and CIA contractor — directed a team of employees to conduct a coordinated surveillance, stalking, and harassment campaign against two journalists who published critical coverage of the company. The operation included in-person surveillance across state lines, an attempt to install a GPS tracker on the victims' vehicle, monitoring police scanners to stay ahead of investigators, and the use of prepaid debit cards, disguises, and overseas email accounts to conceal the company's involvement.
Seven former eBay employees pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges including conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses. The longest sentence was 57 months in federal prison. eBay itself was criminally charged and agreed to pay a $3 million penalty under a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. In July 2026, the victims received a $55.7 million civil settlement.
This case is proven. The convictions are public record. The tools used — GPS tracking, surveillance, data monitoring — are the same categories of tools listed on this page.
Tens of thousands of Americans have filed complaints describing similar patterns of coordinated surveillance and harassment. How many of them are real?

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Attend your local commission or committee meeting. These surveillance tools are often adopted by city councils and county commissions with little or no public input. Your voice matters in these decisions.
Ask questions. Has your city contracted with Flock Safety or any ALPR vendor? What data is being collected? Who has access? How long is it stored? Is there a public policy governing its use?
Request public records. FOIA and state public records laws allow you to request contracts, policies, and usage data related to surveillance technology in your community.
Talk to your neighbors. Most people do not know these tools exist or that their movements are being recorded daily. Awareness is the first step toward accountability.
Contact your representatives. State and federal legislators have the power to require warrants, limit data retention, and mandate transparency for surveillance technology.
CITIZENS FOR SURVEILLANCE TRANSPARENCY

Not affiliated with Flock Safety or any listed company.

This is a public awareness effort. All information presented is based on publicly available sources.