Ethical Hacking News
In a bold move, a new mod for Grand Theft Auto V allows players to destroy Flock cameras for cash, providing a cathartic release for those who feel that surveillance is becoming too invasive. The mod, which features 235 Flock cameras around the fictional Los Santos, serves as a response to the growing concerns about the misuse of these cameras by law enforcement agencies. While Flock has not commented on the mod, the move reflects a growing public appetite for awareness about the potential risks of these cameras. As the game industry continues to evolve, mods like this one will likely play an increasingly important role in shaping public attitudes towards surveillance and law enforcement.
Grand Theft Auto V has a new mod that allows players to destroy Flock cameras, a brand of automated license plate readers (ALPRs), in response to the growing concerns about their misuse by law enforcement agencies. The mod, titled "Grand Theft Automated License Plate Reader," was created by artist Morry Kolman and features 235 Flock cameras installed around the fictional Los Santos. The mod serves as a form of catharsis for those who feel that the surveillance state is becoming increasingly oppressive. Players can receive $600 for each Flock camera they destroy, which Kolman priced based on a teardown of a Flock Falcon Flex Camera. The mod has sparked outrage among civil liberties advocates, who argue that Flock cameras are being misused by law enforcement agencies to track and monitor citizens without proper oversight. The mod raises awareness about the potential risks of Flock cameras and their impact on public attitudes towards surveillance and law enforcement.
Grand Theft Auto V, a popular video game released in 2013, has recently been augmented by a new mod that allows players to destroy Flock cameras, a brand of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) that have sparked outrage among civil liberties advocates. The mod, titled "Grand Theft Automated License Plate Reader," was created by artist Morry Kolman and features 235 Flock cameras installed around the fictional Los Santos, a riff on the real-life city of Los Angeles. Players can smash and shoot down the cameras and receive $600 for each one they destroy, which Kolman priced based on a teardown of a Flock Falcon Flex Camera by the Iowa-based civil liberties group Eyes Off of Cedar Rapids.
The mod is a response to the growing concerns about the misuse of Flock cameras by law enforcement agencies. In real-life communities, vigilantes have allegedly vandalized Flock cameras using spray paint, saws, bullets, and even flaming projectiles. According to an NPR analysis, Flock cameras have been vandalized in at least 36 states. The mod serves as a form of catharsis for those who feel that the surveillance state is becoming increasingly oppressive.
Kolman, the creator of the mod, acknowledges that the game is not an endorsement of the activities that it allows in the same way that Grand Theft Auto is not an endorsement of the activities that are allowed in the game. However, he believes that there is a public appetite for a form of release against these machines. The mod also features a 5 percent chance that the cameras will trigger a random police response even if the player is not doing anything wrong, which Kolman says was inspired by news reports about innocent people being held at gunpoint because of ALPR errors.
Flock, the manufacturer of the cameras, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the mod. The company's surveillance cameras have already sparked outrage among civil liberties advocates, who argue that they are being misused by law enforcement agencies to track and monitor citizens without proper oversight. In real-life LA, the Los Angeles Police Department suspended its use of Flock cameras this summer following a recommendation from the LAPD's inspector general. The tide is turning in other places too—governors in both Texas and Florida recently took steps to curtail the use of Flock cameras in their respective states, and across the US, there were 131 Flock contract terminations in August alone, according to the anti-surveillance advocacy group Secure Justice.
The mod is also notable for its attention to detail, with players able to render a photo album of their interactions with the cameras. Kolman hopes that players will feel the "insidiousness and inescapability of the surveillance" through GTALPR, and that the mod will raise awareness about the potential risks of these cameras. As the game industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how mods like this one reflect and shape public attitudes towards surveillance and law enforcement.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Destroying-Flock-Cameras-for-Cash-in-Grand-Theft-Auto-V-A-Cathartic-Release-for-Surveillance-Opponents-ehn.shtml
https://www.wired.com/story/you-can-now-destroy-flock-cameras-for-cash-in-gta-v/
Published: Wed Sep 9 11:43:18 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
