Senator launches investigation into Flocks surveillance
A Republican senator is demanding answers from the company, which is facing increasing scrutiny.
Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri has initiated an investigation into Flock Safety, the manufacturer of AI-powered Flock cameras, seeking answers regarding how the company gathers and stores data on millions of Americans. With over 120,000 cameras installed in 49 states, Flock has been facing increasing criticism from the public, leading the Atlanta-based company to face a Senate probe demanding extensive documentation on its policies and details on potential misuse of data.
In his letter to Flock, Hawley pointed out that the cameras conduct more than 20 billion vehicle scans monthly, while the majority of those captured are innocent individuals. The senator also highlighted numerous instances of misuse of Flock's data, including police officers utilizing the database for stalking purposes instead of genuine crime investigation.
Additionally, Hawley mentioned cases where Flock cameras provided incorrect information about vehicles, resulting in wrongful imprisonment. A Florida woman spent 13 days in jail and faced multiple felony charges after being arrested based on incorrect information obtained from Flock's network; her charges were ultimately dismissed after it was revealed the error.
Hawley expressed concern over Flock's handling of the data it captures and requested clarity on various aspects, such as the retention period of the data, the number of times the cameras have been misused, and the measures Flock has in place to ensure accuracy. Hawley wants Flock to provide answers to these questions by September 8.
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