Research

Sources & methodology

Camera locations

• Origin: OpenStreetMap nodes tagged surveillance:type=ALPR, much of it contributed through DeFlock. Licensed ODbL.
• Status: every camera is labeled reported, not verified. We don't visit or confirm locations.
• Freshness: data is queried live via the Overpass API through our server and cached at the edge for up to 12 hours, and in your browser for up to 6 hours. For 39 map tiles covering about 100 large US metros, we also serve a pre-built snapshot (last refreshed 2026-10-12) so pages load instantly. A live refresh runs behind it.
• Maker/operator: shown only when the OSM contributor tagged them; "Unknown" means untagged.

How we count

• Am I being watched? Cameras within the chosen radius (straight-line distance) of the geocoded point. Points are rounded to 0.01° (about 1 km) for privacy, so counts near the radius edge can vary slightly.
• Track my drive: Cameras within 50 m of the driving route returned by the public OSRM demo server. "Per 10 miles" = count ÷ route miles × 10. Direction of the camera isn't considered.
• Zero results mean no cameras have been reported there. That isn't evidence there are none.
• Verdict tiers ("Herded," "Full flock"…) are jokes based on the count, not a scientific measure.

Cancellations tracker

• Origin: DeFlock The USA Cancellation Tracker, retrieved 2026-10-11. It listed 339 entries.
• De-duplication: when the same community appears more than once, we keep the most recent entry, which leaves 328 distinct communities.
• Labels: Contract canceled, Proposal rejected, Paused, Cameras deactivated, Cameras removed, Not renewed, ALPR ban map directly to the tracker's categories. Vendor switch is applied only when the entry's note says the community moved to another vendor.
• Evidence: each entry links to the tracker's page for it, which cites original reporting.
• Also see Newsweek's independent map.

News & facts

We only state facts we can cite, and we link the source next to the claim. Main sources: Newsweek, NPR, Columbus Dispatch, Idaho Legislature.

Corrections

Wrong camera? Edit it on OpenStreetMap (each popup links to the node) or email [email protected]. Wrong cancellation or fact? Email us with a source and we'll fix it and note the change.