ACLU of Oregon and partners sue City of Eugene for failing to disclose public records on Flock cameras

Eugene, ORE. — Today, the ACLU of Oregon and its legal partners, Visible Law and LeDuc Montgomery LLC, filed to sue the City of Eugene for failing to disclose public records pertaining to the city’s operation of Flock Safety cameras. Flock cameras are a type of surveillance camera being sold as automated license plate readers. Flock cameras can be used for much more and present grave privacy and surveillance implications. The lawsuit is filed on behalf of Seth May, a member of Eyes Off Eugene.

“Eyes Off Eugene submitted our original records request because we believe that transparency is the foundation of a healthy civic process,” said Seth May with Eyes Off Eugene. “The City of Eugene’s refusal to disclose the location of their Flock surveillance cameras shrouds the true scale of the mass surveillance systems that have been installed in our community. This kind of secrecy erodes public trust and stifles any meaningful oversight."

Flock cameras are a type of advanced surveillance technology that presents a significant threat to privacy by tracking the movements of every vehicle (and even images of pedestrians, bicyclists, and animals), without a warrant, suspicion, or consent from the public. Flock allows for this personal data to be uploaded to a centralized AI-powered platform that can be accessed by law enforcement and private companies across the country, with little to no regulation.

“Mass surveillance through the use of technology like Flock cameras present a dangerous threat to every Oregonian’s privacy and rights to be free from invasive and unjustified government searches into our personal lives. The concern is heightened by the extreme levels of federal aggression being currently directed at immigrants, transgender people, Black and Brown people, and people exercising their First Amendment rights,” said Kelly Simon, ACLU of Oregon Legal Director.

On June 12, 2025, Mr. May submitted a request for public records to the City of Eugene, requesting a list of all locations where Flock Safety cameras are currently installed or have been installed in Eugene. The City quickly denied the request by citing ORS 192.345(23), which states that certain records may be kept confidential if the information could reveal the City’s security measures.

In August of 2025, Mr. May submitted an appeal to challenge the exemption. He argued that such government intrusions into private lives raises serious constitutional concerns and that the ORS 192.345(23) exemption does not apply in this case. Less than one week later, the Lane County District Attorney summarily denied his appeal on the basis that the public interest did not outweigh the purpose of the exemption.

The City of Eugene’s denials of Mr. May’s request and refusal to disclose the requested records violates Oregon public records law. The City of Eugene’s refusal to disclose the records despite the significant public interest in them stands in stark contrast to the transparency that other cities like Springfield, Medford, and Woodburn have provided the public by identifying the locations of Flock cameras without issue.

Eyes Off Eugene is a local group of advocates and tech professionals who reject mass surveillance through public education and organized advocacy.

The ACLU of Oregon is an affiliate of the national ACLU, which has affiliates in 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The ACLU of Oregon is a nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization with more than 48,000 members and donor supporters statewide. The organization works in the courts, in the state legislature and local governments, and in communities to defend and advance our democracy, civil liberties, and civil rights under the U.S. and Oregon laws and constitutions.

Learn more about Flock surveillance technology and its impact on communities here.

The legal complaint can be found here.

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