Flock tightens guardrails aimed at stopping cops from abusing its license plate cameras

Following reports that dishonest police officers harnessed Flock Safety's car-tracking software for snooping, the Atlanta-based $8.4 billion startup announced Thursday it would implement new measures to curb misuse of its license plate camera data. The company, which has installed over 120,000 cameras nationwide, unveiled the changes after The Washington Post uncovered this month that officers had employed its technology to stalk women with no involvement in any investigations, sparking concerns about constant surveillance and potential data sharing with federal immigration officials.

Flock Safety will now shorten its default data retention period from 30 days to seven days, limiting the amount of time anyone can trace a vehicle's movements. The company will also flag suspicious searches originating within police departments, blocking those users and notifying their superiors. Moreover, officers will be unable to conduct a search for license plate data without attaching a case number to the query.

Garrett Langley, a spokesperson for the company, told Semafor that communities "have a higher expectation" of Flock Safety than perhaps he initially anticipated. However, the additional safeguards still leave some loopholes, partly due to the fact that police departments are not Flock Safety's only clientele: businesses and homeowner associations can also purchase the cameras.

While this enables private citizens to investigate crimes in their community, it also presents more opportunities for abuse, often with less oversight. Langley emphasized that he aimed to counteract the "misconception that we are some evil entity with diabolical plans," clarifying that the company's ultimate goal is to enhance public safety.