“Evanston shuts down license plate cameras, terminates contract with Flock Safety”, 26 August 2025

The City of Evanston has shut down its network of automated license plate readers and will end its contract with vendor Flock Safety early after a state audit found the company was illegally sharing Illinois data with federal agencies.

A city news release …says that all 19 cameras operated by the city are “deactivated,” and that the city issued a notice to terminate its contract effective Sept. 26. The decision is attributed to the findings of a system audit ordered by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias...

… the audit revealed Flock “allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to access Illinois license plate cameras on Illinois roads and surveil drivers.” This was through a “pilot program” with federal agencies that “Flock leadership was unaware of,” and Giannoulias charges it violated a state law that took effect in 2024, which prohibits sharing plate reader data for investigations concerning reproductive health care or immigration…