Technology
Viral website lets public check whether vehicle license plates were searched in Flock Safety logs
Created by a former software engineer, 'Have I Been Flocked?' aggregates agency audit records amid heightened scrutiny of law enforcement surveillance.
The short version
- Former software engineer Cris van Pelt created 'Have I Been Flocked?', a website allowing users to see if their license plates appear in audit logs from automated license-plate reader company Flock Safety.
- The website relies on a database of over 242 million recorded searches compiled from public records requests and agency disclosures, though its dataset remains incomplete.
- The site's traffic surged amid broader scrutiny over police surveillance, reported technology misreads, and allegations of improper license-plate searches by officers.
Key facts
- Cris van Pelt created 'Have I Been Flocked?' in October 2025 using aggregated public records requests and agency audit logs.[Business Insider]
- The website's database contains more than 242 million search records dating back to November 2021.[Business Insider]
- Flock Safety's technology operates in more than 6,000 communities across 49 states.[Business Insider]
- A Washington Post report from August 2026 stated that at least 50 U.S. law enforcement officers were accused of misusing license plate scanning technology, with 46 cases involving Flock cameras.[Business Insider]
- In mid-August 2026, Flock Safety introduced policy updates, including recommending shorter default data retention windows for new clients to address privacy concerns.[Business Insider]
What remains uncertain
- The full extent of searches conducted across Flock Safety's network is unknown, as 'Have I Been Flocked?' depends on a partial patchwork of public audit logs.[Business Insider]