Your constitutional right to privacy · Arizona
Warrantless. Suspicionless. Unconstitutional.
Flock's cameras log where every Arizonan drives — no warrant, no suspicion, no limit. That runs headfirst into Article 2, Section 8 of the Arizona Constitution: your private affairs may not be disturbed without authority of law. DeFlock Arizona makes that case — and gives you the tools to see the surveillance for yourself.
Is this legal? Not under Arizona's Constitution.
Arizona wrote one of the strongest privacy protections in the country directly into its Constitution — stronger than the federal Fourth Amendment.
"No person shall be disturbed in his private affairs, or his home invaded, without authority of law."
— Arizona Constitution, Article 2, Section 8
Why Flock's network runs headfirst into it
- It's broader than the Fourth Amendment. Arizona courts have repeatedly held this "private affairs" clause protects privacy more strongly than the U.S. Constitution — it guards your affairs, not just your house.
- Your movements are your private affairs. Where you drive tells the story of who you are: your doctor, your church, your lawyer, your partner, the protest you attended. Flock rebuilds that story from your license plate.
- It tracks everyone, all the time. Flock doesn't watch a suspect under a warrant. It logs every car that passes — you, your neighbors, everyone — with no suspicion of any crime.
- "Authority of law" means a warrant, not a subscription. The clause allows intrusion only with authority of law. A police department buying access to a private camera dragnet is not a judge signing a warrant.
- The Supreme Court already saw the danger. In Carpenter v. United States (2018), the Court ruled that tracking a person's location over time is a search that needs a warrant — because it reveals "the whole of a person's physical movements." Flock does exactly that, to everyone, continuously.
- Stored, searchable, shared. Reads are kept for weeks or longer and shared across a nationwide network of thousands of cameras — a retroactive time machine of where you've been, searchable in seconds.
Note: no Arizona court has issued a final ruling on Flock specifically. This is the constitutional argument — and it is a strong one. It is not legal advice.
"People take photos in public all the time." Here's the difference.
True — and that's legal, and fine. Mass automated tracking is a completely different animal. Here's the plain-English breakdown.
📷 A photo in public
- One moment, one place, one person taking it.
- You can see it happening.
- Not automatically tied to your name.
- Nobody keeps a searchable diary of everywhere you drive.
- It ends the second the shutter clicks.
🚨 A Flock camera network
- Automatic and always on — it never blinks.
- Captures every plate + time + location, tied to your registration (your name).
- Every camera feeds one giant searchable database.
- Keeps a history for weeks or more — a map of your life, on demand.
- No person, no suspicion, no warrant. Everyone is tracked by default.
- One click lets police replay everywhere you've been.
🏠 A camera on private property
- A doorbell cam or shop camera watches its own porch or lot.
- Owned by a person or business protecting their own space.
- Points at one spot — not tracking the whole city.
- Not, by itself, a police-searchable movement database.
- The catch: plug it into Flock's network and let police search it, and it stops being "just a security camera" — it becomes part of the same dragnet.
A public photo is a stranger glancing at you on the sidewalk. Flock is a stranger following you everywhere you drive, writing it all down, keeping it, and handing the notebook to the government — no warrant required.
What we do
The mapping is a tool, not the mission. The mission is holding the line on a constitutional right.
Make the constitutional case
Break down, in plain language, why suspicionless ALPR dragnets collide with Arizona's Article 2, Section 8 right to privacy.
Document the spread
Mapping where these cameras are is one tool we use to prove the scale is real, growing, and worth everyone's attention.
Push for accountability
Give residents, journalists, and lawmakers what they need to question, restrict, and end warrantless tracking.
The map
Mapping is one tool in the fight — not the point of it. Seeing the scale makes the constitutional problem concrete. DeFlock Arizona contributes to the national DeFlock project, which maps reported ALPRs using open data from OpenStreetMap.
Opens deflock.me in a new tab.
Get involved
You don't need special skills — just observation. Here's how to help.
-
Spot a camera
Watch for ALPRs on traffic poles, near intersections, and at neighborhood entrances. They're often small cameras with a solar panel and a distinctive angled housing.
-
Note the location
Record the exact spot — a nearby address, cross streets, or GPS coordinates. A photo (taken safely and legally from public space) helps.
-
Report it
Add it to the map or send it to us and we'll help get it documented.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ALPR?
An Automated License Plate Reader is a camera system that captures license plates, timestamps, and locations of passing vehicles. Networked together, ALPRs can reconstruct where a vehicle has traveled over time.
Is documenting cameras legal?
Photographing things in plain view from public spaces is generally legal in the United States. Always stay on public property, don't trespass, and prioritize your safety. DeFlock Arizona does not condone tampering with or damaging any equipment.
Who runs DeFlock Arizona?
We're an independent, volunteer-run community project focused on surveillance transparency in Arizona. We contribute to the broader DeFlock effort.
How do I get the data?
Reported cameras are contributed to open datasets via OpenStreetMap, which anyone can access, download, and build on.