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Proton AG is hosting a Flock camera map created by security researcher Joshua Michael using leaked Flock data. The map can be accessed worldwide through Proton, while Michael’s original site is available only within the United States and he has received a cease-and-desist letter from Flock.

Proton AG is hosting a map of Flock camera locations built by security researcher Joshua Michael from leaked Flock data, making the map accessible worldwide as Michael faces a cease-and-desist letter from the surveillance company. Proton’s site provides an alternative to Michael’s original map, which is accessible only from within the United States, according to Tom’s Hardware.

The map, called the Flock Surveillance Map, plots camera locations based on data described as leaked from Flock, amid efforts to take Flock camera maps offline. Tom’s Hardware reports that the map shows more than 300,000 cameras. The figure is a count represented on the map; the available information does not specify when the data was collected, how the count was verified, or whether every listed location corresponds to a currently operating camera.

Michael’s original website remains online, but it is restricted to users in the United States. People outside the country need a VPN to reach that version. Proton’s hosted map, by comparison, is accessible internationally, according to the report. The different access arrangements make Proton’s copy available to readers who cannot directly visit Michael’s site.

Flock sent Michael a cease-and-desist letter, Tom’s Hardware reports. The report does not provide the letter’s full text or detail the legal claims it makes. Proton is hosting Michael’s work despite that threat; the company’s presence in Switzerland may complicate any attempt to take legal action there, but it does not establish that Proton is immune from legal action.

A Wider Audience for Camera Locations

Hosting the map through Proton changes who can access it: users outside the United States can visit Proton’s version without relying on a VPN to reach Michael’s site. That wider availability could help people examine the reported distribution of Flock cameras, including whether cameras are present in places they live, work or travel.

The dispute also puts public access to surveillance information alongside questions about the use of leaked data and the legal pressure facing the person who assembled the map. A map can help readers understand the potential reach of a camera network, but location listings alone do not show what a particular camera records, who can access its footage, or how that footage is used.

Proton’s decision fits its stated privacy-focused identity, as described in the report. The immediate practical effect is clear: another route to the map is available. The longer-term legal and privacy implications are less settled, and the reported camera count should not be treated as a verified inventory of active devices.

How the Two Map Sites Differ

Proton provides privacy-focused services including Proton Mail and Proton VPN. It is now hosting a version of the map built by Michael, while the researcher’s original site remains online. The two sites differ in geographic reach: the original is available only to visitors in the United States, while Proton’s copy can be reached worldwide, according to Tom’s Hardware.

The sequence described in the report is that Michael created the map from leaked Flock data, Flock sent him a cease-and-desist letter, and Proton then chose to host the work. The report says Proton’s servers are in Switzerland and suggests that location could make legal action more complicated for Flock. That is not the same as a court ruling or a guarantee that the company cannot pursue a claim.

Flock is identified in the report as a surveillance company whose cameras are represented on the map. Beyond the reported count of over 300,000 locations, the available details do not establish the network’s full scope or the status of individual cameras. The map is a presentation of data, not by itself an independent audit of the company’s equipment or practices.

Data Accuracy and Legal Claims

The reported total of more than 300,000 cameras comes from the map’s underlying leaked data. The report does not explain the dataset’s collection period, its completeness, or how camera locations were checked. It is not clear whether entries include inactive or duplicate devices, or whether the locations remain current.

There is also limited public detail here about the legal dispute. Flock sent a cease-and-desist letter, but the letter’s arguments, any response from Michael, and any further legal steps are not specified. The report does not quote either Flock or Proton directly, so their detailed positions on the map and the threat cannot be established from the information available.

Proton’s Swiss hosting may affect the practical path of a legal challenge, but the outcome is unknown. The map’s continuing availability and the possibility of changes to either site may depend on developments that have not been reported.

Access and Dispute Developments

For now, readers can access the map through Proton’s internationally available site, while Michael’s original version remains online for users in the United States. The immediate next developments to watch are whether either site changes its availability and whether Flock takes further legal steps after sending the cease-and-desist letter.

Further information about the dataset could also clarify how the camera count was assembled and how current the locations are. No timeline for such details, a court proceeding, or a change in access has been reported. Until more information emerges, the map’s total should be described as the number shown from leaked data, not as a confirmed count of operating cameras.

Source: Tom’s Hardware

Key Questions

What is Proton hosting?

Proton is hosting a version of the Flock Surveillance Map, created by Joshua Michael using leaked Flock data. Tom’s Hardware reports that the map displays more than 300,000 camera locations.

Why is Proton’s version easier to access internationally?

Michael’s original website is accessible only from within the United States, according to the report. Proton’s hosted version is available worldwide, so visitors outside the U.S. do not need a VPN to reach it.

What legal action has Flock taken?

Flock sent Michael a cease-and-desist letter. The available report does not give the letter’s full contents or say whether Flock has filed a lawsuit.

Does the map confirm that more than 300,000 cameras are operating?

No. The reported figure describes locations shown using leaked data. The report does not provide a verification method, collection period or confirmation that every listed camera is active.

Does hosting the map in Switzerland prevent legal action?

The report says Proton’s Swiss server location could make legal action more complicated for Flock. It does not establish that Proton is protected from legal claims or predict how a dispute would be resolved.

Source: Tom’s Hardware