A leaked presentation from the surveillance firm Flock shows the company pitching a plan to turn 350,000 Uber drivers into a nationwide license-plate scanning fleet. The deck, obtained by a journalist, outlines pulling plate data from rideshare and delivery drivers as they work.
How the pitch works
The presentation describes recruiting drivers already on the road for Uber and other gig platforms. Their vehicles would be equipped with Flock's cameras, capturing license plates continuously during trips. The data would feed into Flock's existing law-enforcement network, which already tracks plates across cities and states.
Flock's pitch frames the drivers as a low-cost, always-moving sensor network. Instead of installing fixed cameras at intersections, the company would rely on the constant movement of rideshare and delivery vehicles. The presentation reportedly emphasizes the scale: 350,000 drivers would cover far more ground than any static camera system.
Privacy concerns raised by the leak
The plan has drawn immediate criticism from privacy advocates, though no one quoted in the leaked materials commented publicly. The idea of turning private vehicles into roving surveillance tools raises questions about consent and data retention. Uber drivers are independent contractors, not employees, which could complicate any rollout.
Neither Uber nor Flock has confirmed the plan's existence. The leaked presentation does not indicate whether Uber itself was approached or is aware of the pitch. It also doesn't specify how drivers would be compensated, if at all, or whether they could opt out.
What Flock already does
Flock is known for its network of automated license-plate readers used by police departments. The company's cameras capture every plate that passes, storing data for up to 30 days. That data has been used in investigations, but also criticized for mass tracking without a warrant.
Expanding that network to include moving vehicles would be a major shift. Fixed cameras cover specific intersections; a fleet of 350,000 drivers would cover entire cities, neighborhoods, and highways. The leaked deck reportedly highlights this coverage as a selling point.
Questions that remain
The biggest unanswered question is whether any rideshare company signed on. The leak shows a proposal, not a contract. It's also unclear if drivers would be told about the cameras or if the data would be tied to their identities.
Flock has not issued a statement. Uber has not responded to requests for comment. The presentation's date and audience are unknown, and it's possible the plan never left the pitch stage. Until either company addresses it, the scope of this proposal stays in the realm of what was shown in the leaked slides.
