Fixing Flock: The controls needed now that misuse patterns are clear
Brief
Flock Safety has stirred widespread debate of late. Flock builds interconnected networks of automated license-plate readers and other public safety cameras. Those systems can help police solve serious crimes, but they also log sensitive personal location data and make it searchable across agencies and jurisdictions. The question is no longer whether the technology has value.
It is what controls Flock must build now that patterns of misuse are clear.
We have sympathy for the police officers and analysts trying to use Flock responsibly. Consider a 911 call after a carjacking. An analyst checks nearby footage, identifies a likely vehicle and adds the plate or description to a hotlist. License-plate readers then produce a focused trail showing where the car went. Flock demonstrates this workflow in its Safe City materials .