Quick Facts

• Ulta Beauty uses Flock Safety automated license plate readers at less than 1% of its roughly 1,500 store locations nationwide.
• Advocacy group UltraViolet launched a public campaign against Ulta after a viral social media moment exposed the surveillance partnership.
• At least 50 law enforcement officers across the U.S. have been accused of or charged with misusing Flock or similar license plate reader systems.

Ulta Beauty is facing a wave of customer anger after shoppers discovered the beauty retailer uses automated license plate reader cameras from surveillance technology company Flock Safety in some of its parking lots. The backlash spread across Instagram and TikTok after a petition from activist nonprofit UltraViolet went viral, drawing thousands of comments from frustrated customers.

Flock Safety noted its partnership with Ulta Beauty began in July 2025. Ulta did not respond to questions about when the relationship started. Flock also did not respond to questions about the partnership.

What the Cameras Do

Flock’s cameras capture license plate numbers along with vehicle make, model, color, and physical markers such as dents, roof racks, and bumper stickers. The data feeds into a searchable database accessible to law enforcement agencies. The cameras do not use facial recognition.

Ulta says the cameras are deployed at less than 1% of its store fleet and are installed only in landlord-owned parking lots, which require permission for installation. A source says Ulta “complies with all applicable laws and strictly controls access to information collected by cameras.”

Why Ulta Adopted the Technology

Ulta Beauty’s Director of Loss Prevention, Rory Stallard, explained the decision at Flock’s 2025 conference, citing post-pandemic store violence as a driver. Cosmetics and high-end beauty products have become a prime target for organized retail crime because items are easy to conceal and carry strong resale value.

Between 2023 and 2024, retailers reported an 18% increase in shoplifting incidents and a 12% rise in merchandise theft. One multi-state theft ring stole roughly $8 million in products from Ulta and Sephora stores before being dismantled. In Maryland and Virginia, Flock alerts helped law enforcement break up a $190,000 retail theft ring targeting Ulta stores specifically.

The Campaign Against Ulta

UltraViolet named its campaign “Hey Ulta: Mass surveillance isn’t pretty.” The group is demanding Ulta cut ties with Flock Safety, arguing the technology puts women, immigrants, protesters, and others at risk.

Jenna Sherman, UltraViolet’s campaign director, said it is important to speak out while the percentage of stores with cameras remains low, “to make it crystal clear that women are not okay with this.” Social media creator Rachel L. amplified the concern with a direct warning: “If you’re a woman shopping at Ulta, the police can just watch you whenever they want. Your abusive ex, who’s a cop, can watch you shopping at Ulta.”

A Documented Pattern of Misuse

The concerns are not hypothetical. A Washington Post investigation found that at least 50 law enforcement officers across the U.S. have been accused of or charged with misusing Flock or similar systems. More than half of those incidents involve surveillance tied to romantic partners.

In one case, a police chief searched his ex-girlfriend’s license plate more than 500 times and repeatedly contacted her to show he knew her location. In California, former Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Alexander Vanny used Flock as part of a months-long stalking campaign against his former fiancee. Vanny was convicted on 10 charges and sentenced in February 2026 to six years in prison.

The city of Dayton suspended its Flock cameras after discovering thousands of immigration-related searches conducted by outside agencies, despite local policies restricting such access.

What It Means for Retailers

Ulta’s situation puts a spotlight on a growing tension in retail loss prevention. Retailers facing rising theft are turning to third-party surveillance networks, but those networks connect store data to broader law enforcement systems that operate beyond a retailer’s control. For brands built on customer trust, particularly those marketing directly to women, the reputational risk is real and fast-moving.

Flock Safety is now the largest automated license plate reader provider in the country, with at least 120,000 cameras installed across the U.S. As the network grows, more retailers will face the same questions Ulta is navigating now.

Read more: Ulta’s use of Flock technology causes upset online