Can Flock’s new guardrails actually constrain networked police surveillance?
Flock is making its automatic auditing system mandatory, using it to analyze officer searches and flag suspicious activity to administrators, but the company has not disclosed its accuracy or opened it to independent evaluation.[1] It is also recommending that agencies retain data for seven days instead of 30 and allowing departments to restrict outside searches by stated purpose, although agencies can override the retention recommendation and officers must accurately report why they are searching.[1]
More than 120,000 Flock automatic license plate reader cameras are installed across the US and can be networked to track vehicles using license plates, make, model, color, and other information.[6] Because dozens of communities have canceled or disabled camera contracts, the effectiveness and enforceability of Flock’s safeguards could influence whether cities keep, replace, or prohibit this surveillance infrastructure.[1][6]
Key insights
- The most significant shift is from an optional auditing feature to a mandatory one, moving Flock closer to enforcing controls rather than merely offering them.[1]
- The shorter retention period is only a recommendation: departments may continue keeping data longer.[1]
- Purpose-based restrictions depend on officers truthfully categorizing searches, leaving a human-reporting loophole inside the technical safeguard.[1]
- At least 30 cities had dropped Flock during the year covered by an NPR count cited in February, while Flock characterized cancellations as a small share of the 5,000 agencies under contract.[1]