Amid public backlash, surveillance tech company Flock announces platform changes
Summary
Flock Safety, a company that provides cameras to read car license plates for law enforcement, announced new rules to address privacy concerns and misuse of its system. The changes include mandatory checks on unusual searches, shorter data storage times, and controls to limit who can access the data and for what reasons.Key Facts
- Flock Safety supplies automated license plate readers used by many U.S. law enforcement agencies.
- The cameras capture license plate information and car details as vehicles pass by.
- Some police departments have stopped using Flock due to concerns about privacy and misuse.
- Starting January 1, all users must use a tool that detects unusual search activity and can lock users out for review.
- Data will be kept for 7 days instead of 30, unless it relates to an open case, when it can be kept longer.
- Officers must enter a case-specific code before searching, and emergency searches will be reviewed automatically.
- Customers can restrict outside agencies from searching certain types of offenses, including immigration-related cases.
- Privacy advocates say the changes are a partial improvement but worry abuses could still happen.
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