--- title: "Episode 780: Do Americans Still Have Privacy?" url: "https://bepreparedsolutions.co/show/pbn/780-do-americans-still-have-privacy" description: "Show notes with the sources behind them, plus related episodes for Do Americans Still Have Privacy?." source: "BePrepared Solutions" --- [![Prepper Broadcasting Network logo](https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/images.spreaker.com/original/cbb6e73246f575743b9df1c4f77fec20.jpg)![BePreparedSolutions.co logo](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/_next/image?url=%2Flogo.png&w=48&q=75)BePreparedSolutions.co](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/) Episode 780 # Do Americans Still Have Privacy? Sources verified September 1, 2026 **For PBN listeners:** you already prep. See what BePrepared adds for your address and your household. [Start my free 7-day trial, no credit card](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/trial?source=pbn&returnTo=%2Fshow%2Fpbn%2F780-do-americans-still-have-privacy)[Ready to subscribe? Code PBN20 takes 20% off on eligible plans.](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/partner/pbn?c=pbn_show_notes_ribbon) The recording of this episode is not posted yet. These notes are complete in the meantime — everything below is what was covered. ## The short version Automated license plate readers are now standard equipment in law enforcement, with systems from Axon and Flock Safety among those surveyed by DHS. Flock Safety cut its default data retention from 30 days to 7 days in August 2026 and added mandatory audit controls after public backlash. The episode covered practical steps to reduce your digital footprint, the use of secondary phones to compartmentalize exposure, and the operational differences between Axon's vehicle-mounted systems and Flock's fixed-camera networks. ([Automated License Plate Readers Market Survey Report](https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-06/25_0606_st_lprmsr.pdf "Retrieved 8/31/2026 · single source")\*, [Flock announces changes amid backlash over its license plate ...](https://apnews.com/article/flock-license-plate-cameras-surveillance-deflock-2a93bc075e2f7ffcca9e04a35d75a3fe "Retrieved 8/31/2026 · independently corroborated")) ## Why this matters right now On August 13, 2026, Flock Safety announced it was shortening its default data-retention window from 30 days to 7 days and adding mandatory audit and search controls. The change followed sustained public criticism of the company's surveillance reach. ([Flock announces changes amid backlash over its license plate ...](https://apnews.com/article/flock-license-plate-cameras-surveillance-deflock-2a93bc075e2f7ffcca9e04a35d75a3fe "Retrieved 8/31/2026 · independently corroborated")) ## Going deeper Axon and Flock Safety both appear in the DHS market survey of automated license plate reader systems. Axon Fleet 3 integrates ALPR into vehicle-mounted systems used by patrol officers. Flock Safety operates FlockOS, a platform built around fixed cameras installed in neighborhoods and along roadways. ([Automated License Plate Readers Market Survey Report](https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-06/25_0606_st_lprmsr.pdf "Retrieved 8/31/2026 · single source")\*) The operational difference matters for a household trying to understand exposure. Axon's systems move with patrol vehicles and capture plates during enforcement activity. Flock's cameras are stationary and record every vehicle that passes, building a time-stamped travel log for each plate. Both feed searchable databases, but Flock's fixed-position model creates a persistent record of routine movement rather than incident-driven snapshots. ([Automated License Plate Readers Market Survey Report](https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-06/25_0606_st_lprmsr.pdf "Retrieved 8/31/2026 · single source")\*) Flock's August 2026 policy change reduced the default retention window from 30 days to 7 days and required audit trails for searches. The 7-day window still captures a week of travel patterns. The audit controls add accountability but do not limit what can be searched or who can request access under existing inter-agency agreements. ([Flock announces changes amid backlash over its license plate ...](https://apnews.com/article/flock-license-plate-cameras-surveillance-deflock-2a93bc075e2f7ffcca9e04a35d75a3fe "Retrieved 8/31/2026 · independently corroborated")) ## How this has played out before Automated license plate readers entered the law enforcement market as vehicle-mounted systems before fixed-camera networks became widespread. The DHS market survey documents both models as established categories by the time of its publication. Axon Fleet 3 represents the mobile lineage; Flock Safety's FlockOS represents the fixed-installation approach that has drawn the most recent scrutiny. ([Automated License Plate Readers Market Survey Report](https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-06/25_0606_st_lprmsr.pdf "Retrieved 8/31/2026 · single source")\*) ## Sources and further reading [Automated License Plate Readers Market Survey Report](https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-06/25_0606_st_lprmsr.pdf) — DHS, retrieved 2026-08-31 [Flock announces changes amid backlash over its license plate cameras](https://apnews.com/article/flock-license-plate-cameras-surveillance-deflock-2a93bc075e2f7ffcca9e04a35d75a3fe) — AP, retrieved 2026-08-31 ## How can your household prepare for threats to your accounts and privacy? These pages turn this episode into steps you can take at home. - [Guides for protecting your accounts and data](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/learn/topics/cyberattack) - [The 72-hour go bag checklist](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/go-bag-checklist) ## From the archive Earlier episodes that covered this ground. - Preppers LIVE: Steve from BuyPreps.com preppers live · November 2023 [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/preppers-live-steve-from-buypreps-com--57825743) Protect your privacy online by breaking data links - Alternate Sources of Power in Grid Down with Reality Check on PBN alternate sources of power · March 2018 [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/alternate-sources-of-power-in-grid-down-with-reality-check-on-pbn--16708132) Analog phone lines can provide emergency DC power - Draven Rock Homestead: What the Flock Series - Winterizing Your Chicken Coop & Chicken Run draven rock homestead · October 2023 · matched on title [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/draven-rock-homestead-what-the-flock-series-winterizing-your-chicken-coop-chicken-run--57424379) From draven rock homestead - Kids, Technology, and Altered Reality with The Next Generation on PBN kids technology and altered · August 2018 [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/kids-technology-and-altered-reality-with-the-next-generation-on-pbn--16707985) Technology can spy on you, even in your home - TT: Home Defense Ideas on Reality Check w/ Michael Kline tt · January 2026 [Play from 38:21](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/tt-home-defense-ideas-on-reality-check-w-michael-kline--69517115#t=2301) Adopt a low-profile appearance and maintain operational security - Draven Rock Homestead - What the Flock Series: Eggs are Eggcellent! draven rock homestead · July 2023 · matched on title [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/draven-rock-homestead-what-the-flock-series-eggs-are-eggcellent--55732356) From draven rock homestead - Draven Rock Homestead - What The Flock!? - Series - Episode 1 draven rock homestead · December 2022 · matched on title [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/draven-rock-homestead-what-the-flock-series-episode-1--52089381) From draven rock homestead - The Last American - Lessons from Robinson Crusoe the last american · April 2023 [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-last-american-lessons-from-robinson-crusoe--53545748) Conceal vital resources for security - TACTICAL TUESDAY: Suburban & Rural Security on The Next Generation Show tactical tuesday · February 2026 [Play from 62:52](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/tactical-tuesday-suburban-rural-security-on-the-next-generation-show--70096676#t=3772) Avoid flaunting valuables and maintain a low profile - Reality Check with Defending Your Home on PBN reality check with defending · March 2018 [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/reality-check-with-defending-your-home-on-pbn--16708140) Maintain strict discipline over light, sound, and smell to avoid detection - Draven Rock Homestead - Growing Freedom Series: What's Bugging Your Garden? draven rock homestead · May 2023 [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/draven-rock-homestead-growing-freedom-series-what-s-bugging-your-garden--53762693) Protect electronic devices and personal data from signal interception Drawn from 664 of the network’s 7,681 episodes — the ones transcribed and indexed so far. ## Ask about this Answered from ten years of the network’s own episodes, with the ones it drew on listed. If the shows haven’t covered it, it will say so. [All episode notes](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/show/pbn) --- _Guidance here is general and cannot account for your circumstances. In an active emergency, official instructions from local authorities take precedence over anything published by BePrepared Solutions._