Can Green Lasers Damage Flock Cameras? Yes, But It's More Complicated Than You Think

If you're an American, odds are, you've heard a lot about Flock cameras in recent years. As one of the major companies manufacturing automatic license plate reader cameras, Flock Safety has entered into contracts with municipalities across the U.S. to install its cameras along roadways. Not everyone has been happy about this. Some parties, fearing the rise of a surveillance state, have resorted to sharing information about how to disable Flock cameras on social media.

One popular claim is that pointing a green laser at a Flock camera could disable the device. While it's technically true that some green lasers can seriously damage or even destroy certain internal components of Flock cameras, it's important to understand that the types of laser pointers available to consumers aren't typically strong enough to do permanent damage.

In the U.S., the FDA establishes limits for the strength of consumer-grade laser pointers. The maximum strength for a green laser pointer sold to consumers in the U.S. is 5 milliwatts. Under some circumstances, that may be strong enough to temporarily interfere with a Flock camera's performance. However, the average person can't get their hands on the type of green laser that would irreversibly harm one of these devices.

Various factors affect how a green laser might damage or interfere with a Flock camera. Along with the strength of the laser, the distance between the laser and the Flock camera, as well as the length of time the camera is exposed to the laser, also come into play. For example, a 500mW (or stronger) green laser pointed at a Flock camera from as far away as 100 meters can generate enough internal heat to destroy components of the device.

A laser that strong can also cause severe eye injury. That's just one of many reasons usage and ownership of these lasers is heavily regulated. As with a "military-grade" laser, a consumer can't just order one from Amazon.

It's true that pointing a basic 5mW green laser pointer at a Flock camera at a close distance (such as under 10 meters) can overload the sensors. This usually isn't enough to cause long-term damage, but while the laser is pointed at the device, it could prevent it from capturing video. Of course, given the fact that people have been arrested for tampering with Flock cameras, setting up camp outside one to constantly shine a small laser pointer at it is heavily discouraged.

That's not to say consumers have no use for green lasers. For instance, a green laser level can be very helpful if you're working in a bright, outdoor environment. Just don't make the mistake of trusting memes and internet rumors suggesting you can take down the surveillance state with a pocket laser pointer.