HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A grassroots group in Huntsville is joining a nationwide movement to sound the alarm against Flock cameras. 

The community action group Huntsville 50501 is calling on the City of Huntsville to reconsider its Flock camera network, or Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR's), saying that it's time to 'Deflock' the city.  

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"It's a way to introduce mass surveillance to the public, and it's not a direction that we want to see at all." Explained Rebecca Sanchez, a spokesperson for the group.    

Community advocates say that they are not against technology that can help solve crimes but instead are seeking more oversight over who can access the data and how it's being used. 

Flock cameras can capture license plates as vehicles pass by. Law enforcement agencies can then use that information as part of their investigations.   

"Even in a hypothetical world, it's still mass surveillance which you can say is more or less searching against the 4th Amendment," said Sanchez. "It also breaks the trust between the governed and the government, and it's not healthy for a functioning democracy." 

Flock Safety, the surveillance technology company that has been increasingly under scrutiny from both lawmakers and civil advocates, is making changes to its platform intended to address privacy concerns and documented abuses of its system by members of law enforcement nationwide.   

The main change involves how long that data is kept in the system.  

Flock Safety recommended keeping license plate data for 30 days, but now it recommends keeping it for just seven days. 

There are dozens of ALPR cameras installed across Huntsville, with more placed throughout north Alabama towns.   

The Alabama Sheriff's Association has publicly supported Flock cameras, describing them as a valuable crime-fighting tool when used under appropriate safeguards. 

"Even with just policy tweaks and changing vendors, the same technology is mass surveillance," Sanchez replied.  

As part of the national Deflock week of action Huntsville 50501 has several events planned in the city. You can see the full schedule here.

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