Flock announces changes amid backlash over its license-plate reader network
The company will require automated audits, shorter retention and case-number checks after reports of officers using plate readers for personal surveillance.
- On Thursday, surveillance firm Flock Safety announced tightened data policies, including shortening the default license-plate retention window from 30 days to 7 days and requiring case codes for police searches.
- Widespread reports of officer misconduct prompted the changes, including recent incidents where Savannah Police Department employees were fired for allegedly using the system to track friends and family.
- Earlier this month, The Washington Post reported finding nearly 50 instances of police officers accused of unauthorized surveillance, many for tracking romantic partners or family members.
- Flock CEO Garrett Langley described the updates as an "evolution" toward accountability, though the company will allow police to bypass case-code requirements during emergencies, subject to administrative review.
- Robert Frommer, a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice, dismissed the measures as "window dressing," arguing the changes fail to address police unilaterally deciding when to search.
269 Articles
269 Articles
Sensing He's in Deep Trouble, Flock Safety CEO Says It's All Been a Big Misunderstanding
In the United States, there’s practically no escaping from mass surveillance company Flock Safety’s 120,000 license plate reading cameras spread across 49 states. The company has partnered with 6,000 law enforcement agencies and 1,000 private customers, leading to terrifying false arrests and even crooked cops stalking innocent women. Just last week, 404 Media reported that the Flock had been planning to infiltrate the dash cams of Uber and Lyft…
Flock Safety strengthens oversight as customers push back on surveillance
Flock Safety, a company that operates a nationwide network of automated license-plate-reading cameras, is facing growing criticism from lawmakers, civil liberties groups and the public over privacy concerns and misuse of its technology, Fortune reports. In response, the company announced new safeguards that will become mandatory for law-enforcement customers by Jan. 1. These include requiring agencies to use an audit system that flags abnormal …
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