Technology
Flock Safety CEO urges balance between privacy and surveillance amid bipartisan scrutiny
Garrett Langley called for regulatory guardrails and defended system safeguards following reports of unauthorized police use of license plate readers.
The short version
- Flock Safety is facing increased political and public scrutiny over how law enforcement uses its automated surveillance and license plate reader systems.
- The Washington Post documented 46 cases where police officers were accused of unauthorized surveillance using Flock technology, prompting the company to shorten default data retention to seven days.
- Bipartisan lawmakers have raised concerns, including House Republicans proposing a ban on federal purchases of such automated surveillance devices.
- Privacy advocates note the practical impact of Flock's policy changes remains unclear because police can override limits using the platform's Evidence Mode.
Key facts
- Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley stated the public needs to reach a compromise balancing safety and privacy, advocating for state legislation that criminalizes unauthorized use of the platform's data.[TechCrunch]
- Reporting by The Washington Post identified 46 instances in which police officers were accused of unauthorized surveillance using Flock technology, including stalking romantic partners and exes.[TechCrunch]
- Flock reduced its default data retention period from 30 days to seven days and added a case-code requirement for data queries.[TechCrunch]
- Law enforcement users can bypass Flock's seven-day retention limit and extended storage restrictions by using the platform's Evidence Mode setting.[TechCrunch]
- Three House Republicans introduced legislation to ban federal procurement of automated surveillance systems, including Flock cameras, while Democratic figures including Senator Bernie Sanders have publicly opposed the technology.[TechCrunch]
What remains uncertain
- The American Civil Liberties Union questioned whether Flock's retention policy revisions will effectively curb privacy risks or serve primarily as public relations, noting that effectiveness depends on how Evidence Mode overrides are implemented in practice.[TechCrunch]