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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Vendor error ‘exposed’ some Cedar Rapids police cameras
The security vendor responsible for the devices states the vulnerability has been addressed
Dec. 24, 2025 12:03 pm, Updated: Dec. 24, 2025 12:28 pm
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CEDAR RAPIDS — Live footage from one or more public safety cameras in downtown Cedar Rapids was temporarily accessible to anyone with internet access, according to the security vendor that operates similar technology nationwide.
Flock Safety contacted the Cedar Rapids Police Department this week to report that feeds from a “small number” of its Condor-style point-tilt-zoom cameras were publicly available to any internet user, regardless of whether that user had an active Flock account or password.
“The only content visible was live and recorded video comparable to what could be observed from a public roadway,” the organization stated. “Once identified, the issue was promptly corrected and security updates were deployed across the network.”
The misconfiguration affected at least one camera in downtown Cedar Rapids, according to a news release from the Cedar Rapids Police Department. It is unclear how long the vulnerability was in place or exactly how many cameras were affected.
Flock Safety said the only content displayed publicly as a result of the vulnerability was live and recorded video from the affected cameras, and the company stressed the “exposure” did not provide public access to Flock’s cloud infrastructure, customer accounts or advanced search/analytics features.
The Condor units are part of the city’s larger public safety camera system, which includes continuously-recording cameras at city parks and facilities, major intersections and at least five stand-alone downtown locations.
The system also includes 70 Flock-supported automated license plate readers and the automated traffic enforcement system — neither of which are affected by the vulnerability identified in the downtown camera feed.
Cedar Rapids Police say Flock has assured the city that “safeguards are in place to prevent further unauthorized access” to local camera feeds, and the release reiterates that “the overall public safety camera system continues to add value to the city’s efforts to ensure public safety.”
The release follows the publication of a YouTube video Monday in which an online content creator, focused on security concerns, told viewers he was able to access live feeds from dozens of Flock cameras across the country — including one in Cedar Rapids.
Personal privacy advocates have raised concerns around security and personal safety as it relates to deployment of the surveillance technology, and the Iowa chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union this month released a report urging state legislators to implement regulations regarding their use.
Law enforcement have maintained, however, that the technology helps bolster public safety by acting as a force-multiplier for departments and recording potentially crucial evidence that might otherwise be missed.
In its news release, the Cedar Rapids Police Department further highlighted its internal policies regarding which employees can use the feeds and when, as well as its public-facing Flock transparency portal with additional information on the technology’s deployment.
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