Police visit Canadian YouTuber after he built camera to track police vehicles

Anthony Sistilli, a Canadian software engineer and YouTuber, received a visit from two Peel Regional Police officers on September 20 after he built and tested an automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) camera designed to track police vehicles. The visit occurred two weeks after Sistilli posted videos demonstrating the device near Shopper’s World in Brampton, Ontario.

The Visit and Police Concerns

According to a statement from a Peel Regional Police spokesperson, the department received "information regarding a YouTube channel operated by Anthony Sistilli that featured content demonstrating the use of Automatic Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology to identify and track marked police vehicles and their locations." The spokesperson stated that police met with Sistilli to understand the technology and purpose, determining that "no further action was required."

Sistilli reported that the officers questioned his intentions. He stated that one officer explained the personal risk to police, noting that "people would be able to find out where they lived, when they got on their shift and what they were doing throughout the day, and that that type of powerful information could put them personally at risk for any bad apples that might want to track them down." Sistilli pointed out that these concerns mirror those of ordinary citizens regarding mass surveillance networks.

Context of ALPR Surveillance in Canada

While the U.S. company Flock Safety does not operate in Canada, Sistilli’s project was prompted by similar ALPR surveillance networks already present in Canada. In March 2025, the City of Brampton announced an $11.4-million camera program. By May, the city stated that 50 high-tech cameras equipped with 360-degree imaging and automated licence plate recognition technology were being used by police for cases ranging from auto thefts to violent crimes.

Sistilli criticized the lack of transparency in Canada compared to the U.S., where portals exist to access logs of police searches. He noted that in Canada, people are not easily able to access records of police searches on the cameras. His device was encoded to exclusively track police cars, a project he described as "a personal Flock surveillance camera to Flock the Flockers."

U.S. Surveillance Controversies

Sistilli’s broader investigation into ALPR technology references the operations of Flock Safety in the United States. According to the company, its centralized national surveillance network has scaled to over 120,000 cameras operating across 49 states, capturing billions of vehicle scans every month. However, security researchers later discovered the network included 335,701 Flock cameras and created a "Flock Surveillance Map" exposing their locations.

The technology has faced backlash in the U.S. due to reports of misuse, including stalking of ex-partners. A Washington Post investigation found police were using Flock cameras to track down ex-partners. Additionally, hackers reportedly extracted over 27,000 clips and 1.6 million images from a stolen Flock camera. In response to privacy concerns, municipalities including Los Angeles and Fullerton have suspended or canceled their Flock contracts.

Why it matters

The incident highlights the growing tension between law enforcement's use of automated surveillance technology and public privacy rights. As ALPR networks expand in both the U.S. and Canada, the ability of citizens to monitor police activity using the same technology raises questions about transparency, accountability, and the potential for misuse of location data by both authorities and individuals.

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Sources

• tomshardware.com: Canadian YouTuber builds 'Flock-like' camera to exclusively track police vehicles, gets a visit from police — officers visit his home to express privacy concerns | Tom's Hardware
• insauga.com: Police visit Mississauga YouTuber after post about video tracking in Brampton | INsauga
• gizmodo.com: YouTuber Says Cops Paid Him a Visit After He Built Flock-Style Camera to Track Cops

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.