A powerful, free Flock surveillance-tracking platform is now hosted by Proton, the creator of Proton Mail and Proton VPN. The move provides extra technical and legal protection for the interactive mapping tool, which Flock has repeatedly attempted to shut down through legal threats. The deal, announced on Wednesday, gives the public access to a free database of Flock Safety’s automated license plate readers and AI surveillance cameras across the US. Security researcher Joshua Michael first published the interactive map in September before facing a swift trademark complaint from Flock. Despite Flock’s demands for its removal, the map remains publicly accessible. More from CNET Flock’s surveillance networks capture license plates, vehicle details, human physical characteristics, and audio signals such as gunshots or shouting. While law enforcement agencies use this data to track and search suspects, privacy advocates warn that the technology enables widespread, unchecked tracking. Proton also says the map shows far more Flock cameras are active than Flock currently says it has. Flock said this summer that it operates more than 120,000 cameras nationwide, but the tool says there are more than 214,000 Flock devices in service, with more than 80,000 in the planning stages. A representative from Flock Safety didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The map is one of the most usable Flock tools I’ve seen. Proton’s Flock tool has better visual clarity, faster search responses and a more intuitive interface than other sites I’ve tried and is available without a subscription to other Proton services. I searched my own city, which canceled its Flock contact over a year ago. The map accurately reported that no active Flock cameras are currently present, but correctly located decommissioned Flock cams. Since the data is based on Flock’s own reporting, I place more trust in it than in crowdsourced tools like the Deflock app, which are subject to errors or misrepresentation. Proton’s tool is striking to look at and simple to use.Proton “My research on FlockSurveillance.org documents cybersecurity failures with national-security consequences,” map creator Joshua Michael told CNET. “My research argued that Flock Safety could not detect exports of their data and that because they hold data on nearly every American and their pattern of life, they are a national security threat to our country and people.” Michael said Flock has “promised to take every measure possible to take my research offline,” he said, offering that as one reason why Proton moved to preserve the map in its Swiss servers. Switzerland enforces some of the world’s strongest privacy laws. Proton’s site notes that under Swiss data protection regulations, the company isn’t required to comply with requests that are not supported by a Swiss court order. Flock is a US-based company. Camera locations are constantly changing, meaning a surveillance map could rapidly become dated. “If new and reliable data becomes available, then we will update the map,” a Proton spokesperson told me. “We’re committed to keeping the public informed of all forms of surveillance where reliable data can be sourced.” ## Another surveillance mapping option While Proton’s map provides a specialized, point-in-time look at Flock Safety’s network, the Atlas of Surveillance offers a broader, historical catalog of the sweeping technologies US law enforcement agencies have quietly adopted over the years. Powered by a network of volunteers who analyze public data and official government records, the Atlas database tracks everything from automated license plate readers to cell-site simulators and body-worn cameras. The project continuously updates its findings. ### 10 Effective Ways to Wipe Your Home Address Off the Internet ### Best VPN for Chrome 2026: Browse, Stream and Download in Private ### Best Home Security Systems in 2026: Every Sensor Tested Tyler Lacoma Senior Editor / Home Security and Smart Home Tyler has worked on, lived with and tested all types of smart home and security technology for over a dozen years, explaining the latest features, privacy tricks and top recommendations. With degrees in business management, literature and technical writing, Tyler takes every opportunity to play with the latest AI technology, push smart devices to their limits and occasionally throw cameras off his roof, all to find the best devices to trust in your life. He always checks with the renters (and pets) in his life to see what smart products can work for everyone, in every living situation. Living in beautiful Bend, Oregon, gives Tyler plenty of opportunities to test the latest tech in every kind of weather and temperature. But when not at work, he can be found hiking the trails, trying out a new food recipe for his loved ones, keeping up on his favorite reading or gaming with good friends. See full bio ### The Latest from Tyler * A New Bird-Recognizing Feeder Under $100 Launches for Beginner Bird-Watchers * A Privacy Company Just Saved the Clearest Flock Surveillance Map I’ve Seen * My Favorite Budget Camera Brand Is Finally Getting 4K Plus and a Mile-Long Range ## LATEST IN NEWS See all news ### Man Destroys $2,000 iPhone Duo With Dirt, Fire, Knives and Medieval Chainmail ### The iPhone Duo Just Passed 20,000 in Our Fold-a-Phone Testing Machine. 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Award-winning music venue in the heart of historic Greenbelt, MD! Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, with gourmet wine and beer selection and free wifi.

The D.C. Council’s Oct. 16 hearing on how to fund the District will hash out proposals that could determine the District’s financial future.

A court is once again reviewing President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy armed National Guard troops across the District, as federal appeals court judges on Wednesday questioned whether the president could use military forces to police the nation’s capital despite objections from its elected leaders. “It violates the law and the principles on which this country was founded to have the U.S. military policing the streets of any American community, including the District of Columbia,” D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb said following the hearing. The confrontation before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit comes more than a year after Trump ordered troops into Washington in August 2025, declaring a crime-fighting mission even as violent crime was declining. “For over a year, thousands of armed soldiers who are not from here and have limited law enforcement training have occupied our streets, spreading fear and confusion by patrolling near our schools, deploying next to ballot boxes, and marching through our neighborhoods,” Schwalb said. “This is not normal, or legal, and we cannot become numb to it.” During Wednesday’s hearing, the three-judge panel pressed Justice Department attorney Eric McArthur to explain the limits on presidential authority to deploy National Guard troops. Judge Cornelia T.L. Pillard questioned whether the administration’s interpretation effectively circumvented the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits the military’s involvement in domestic law enforcement. Judge Judith Rogers also questioned the scope of presidential power. “I think the limiting principle in our position is the president has to be calling out the guard in aid of the civil authorities,” McArthur responded. The administration argues that Trump’s authority over the D.C. National Guard permits deployment and that troops are helping protect federal property and support law enforcement. Schwalb’s lawsuit challenges three actions by the federal government. It alleges that the administration illegally deployed the D.C. National Guard for local law enforcement, brought troops from other states into Washington without the District’s consent, and asserted federal command over National Guard personnel who remained in state militia status. The lawsuit also seeks to protect the District’s self-governing authority under the Home Rule Act and to ensure that civilian policing remains in legally authorized hands. On Nov. 20, 2025, U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled the deployment illegal and granted Schwalb’s request for a preliminary injunction. The appeals court temporarily stayed the order, allowing troops to remain as the administration challenged Cobb’s ruling. The deployment has continued, with about 2,900 troops remaining in Washington as of last week, according to an Associated Press report. The Defense Department has extended the mission through January 2029, and the federal government awarded a $292 million housing contract for personnel assigned to Joint Task Force-D.C. Outside the courthouse, protesters reportedly demanded an end to the military presence and questioned why Washington residents should endure prolonged military patrols in their neighborhoods. The appellate judges have not announced their decision. Their ruling could determine whether the president can continue to use National Guard troops for local law enforcement in Washington without the District’s consent. Schwalb maintained that the military presence has already persisted far too long. “It is long past time for this illegal deployment to end and for the National Guard to return to their homes, their families, and their regular jobs,” Schwalb said. ## **Join the _Washington Informer_ Family!** When my father, Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, founded this paper over 60 years ago, he envisioned more than just a newspaper—he dreamed of a platform to uplift our community with stories of triumph and resilience. His unwavering dedication to service shaped our mission, which remains steadfast: to serve, inform, and empower. **Today, providing free, fact-based local journalism is more challenging than ever, but the need has only grown.** **Your support is vital to sustaining this legacy.** _Publisher Denise Rolark-Barnes_ One-time $16 $26 $60 Other Donation amount $ Thanks for your contribution! Support Us Today

Watching a DVD of the French film alone in my room, I saw for the first time a character who moved through the world like I do

Leonard Peltier was imprisoned for 49 years before his sentence was commuted. A new Netflix documentary exposes the ‘corrupt’ system that allowed it to happen

The fate of Kilmar Abrego Garcia will again be argued in court on Tuesday when his legal team asks a federal judge to block his deportation to Liberia.

Satellite imagery shows further destruction of homes, businesses and places of worship since fragile ceasefire

Protesters gathered for a “Hands Around the Kennedy Center” rally to protest President Donald Trump’s handling of the arts center. CNN’s Sunlen Serfaty reports.

_photo byOlaf Zerbock_ “Dear PoPville, We are watching as Donald Trump destroys the most treasured and historic parts of our city. We couldn’t stop the destruction of the East Wing but we have to stop them from destroying the Kennedy Center. Imagine driving in from VA to DC and seeing a big hole where it used to be. Imagine never seeing the beautiful chandeliers in the opera house again or never being able to show them to your child for the first time. The Kennedy Center doesn’t just bring us the best of the arts, it brings our community together with an emphasis on free and accessible events. These are dark times, everything feels urgent, and we’re exhausted but we just cannot let them do this. **Hands around the Kennedy Center is Friday 6:30-8:00pm**. Let’s show up for our city.” Tom shares from around 1:30pm Thursday: “the Kennedy Center remains intact atm. No construction equipment, just a ghostly, dilapidated aura with fencing prohibiting even walkable, plaza entry.” Stay tuned.

Three openers and live band for Sheeran’s tour depart after removal of Macklemore over ‘free Palestine’ comments

As the first union of debtors our aim is to abolish debts and advocate for a transformation in the way public goods and services are distributed.