# 17th-Century Paris Streetlights Were OG Flock Cameras

> Paris streetlights from the 1600s acted as early surveillance tools, foreshadowing modern Flock cameras.
- Title: 17th-Century Paris Streetlights Were OG Flock Cameras
- Summary: Paris streetlights from the 1600s acted as early surveillance tools, foreshadowing modern Flock cameras.
- Keywords: paris streetlights, flock cameras, alpr, 17th century, surveillance, french revolution, Jalopnik
- Source: Jalopnik — https://jalopnik.com/2304514/street-lights-paris-1700s-acted-as-flock-cameras
- Author: Brontë Wieland
- Published: 2026-11-09T02:25:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: paris streetlights, flock cameras, alpr, 17th century, surveillance, french revolution, cars, culture
## Historical Surveillance Roots
Paris streetlights from the 1600s acted as early surveillance tools, foreshadowing modern Flock cameras.
## Public Lighting for Policing
King Louis XIV installed Paris streetlights to reduce murder rates and enable police surveillance of the poor.
## Vandalism and Resistance
Parisians smashed streetlights to protest police surveillance, a behavior that grew during the French Revolution.
## Modern Surveillance Parallels
Flock cameras and ALPRs both enable state surveillance, though ALPRs have higher false arrest rates.
## Historical Legacy
The French have a long history of using streetlights for surveillance, continuing into modern protests.
## Key takeaway

17th-century Paris streetlights were used for surveillance, similar to modern Flock cameras.