What is the Stop Flock App?
Stop Flock is a free and open-source mobile app (for iOS and Android) for exploring and contributing to public surveillance camera mapping. It's designed for anyone—no mapping experience required.
How Does It Work?
- Interactive map: Shows public surveillance cameras, lets you browse locally or globally, online or offline.
- Camera submission: Easily submit new cameras using defined profiles and tagging standards.
- Upload modes: Use Simulate for practice (no uploads), Sandbox for safe testing on the public OSM sandbox, or Production for submitting real data to OpenStreetMap.
- Camera profiles: Customize and enable profiles to filter and control which camera types you see or can submit.
- Offline mode: Download areas for offline use; new submissions queue safely until reconnected.
- No tracking: The app never collects or transmits personal data. All map activity is local unless you choose to share.
All features are built for anyone to use—citizens, journalists, organizers, technologists, or curious neighbors.
Quick Start Guide
- Download & open the app (links below).
- Location permission: Grant if you want to use "center on me" (optional).
- Map download: The app downloads the world map the first time. Let it finish before exploring (progress in the Settings page).
- Download specific map areas (optional): Useful for reliable offline mapping.
- Create a camera profile for each type of camera you want to view or submit. Profiles control which cameras are visible and which tags are applied when you submit new points.
Standard Flock Camera Tags
man_made=surveillance
surveillance=public
surveillance:zone=traffic
surveillance:type=ALPR
camera:type=fixed
camera:mount=<optional; usually 'pole'>
manufacturer=Flock Safety
manufacturer:wikidata=Q108485435
camera:model=<optional; only if you know>
operator=<optional; only if you know>
operator:wikidata=<optional; if there is one>
direction=<0-359> (handled by the app)
surveillance=public
surveillance:zone=traffic
surveillance:type=ALPR
camera:type=fixed
camera:mount=<optional; usually 'pole'>
manufacturer=Flock Safety
manufacturer:wikidata=Q108485435
camera:model=<optional; only if you know>
operator=<optional; only if you know>
operator:wikidata=<optional; if there is one>
direction=<0-359> (handled by the app)
Add additional profiles for other camera types or purposes as needed. Generic profiles are not supported for submissions. Enabled profiles also control what the app displays, downloads, and allows you to tag.
Choosing Your Upload Mode
- Simulate – Try all workflows with no uploads or real accounts; safe for learning.
- Sandbox – Submits to the OpenStreetMap Sandbox server (must register separately from main OSM; content resets periodically; check your edits in the online sandbox editor).
- Production – Submits to the live OpenStreetMap database (visible for everyone; requires your usual OSM account; use after successful sandbox testing).
Tip: Switching between sandbox and production keeps accounts separate; the app helps you manage logins for each mode independently.
Submitting a Camera
- Set upload destination (simulate/sandbox/production) in the app.
- Log in if needed—production and sandbox require separate OSM accounts.
- Find your desired map location and tap “tag camera.”
- Refine the marker’s location, set direction, choose a camera profile.
- Submit! (App fills common tags automatically from your profile and app context.)
- Always practice in Simulate and Sandbox modes first to verify correct tagging/location before posting to the real map.
Offline & Privacy Features
- Offline mode: Download custom map areas for no-connection operation. Camera submissions are queued and submitted later on reconnect.
- Privacy: The app never collects or transmits any personal information. OSM authentication uses secure OAuth and nothing is stored.
- All live camera data comes from OpenStreetMap—sandbox cameras require you to view/test from the sandbox web editor; production cameras appear on the real world map for all.
