Flock announces changes amid backlash over its license plate reader network
- Flock Safety said it is changing its license plate reader platform in response to privacy concerns and reported misuse by some law enforcement users.
- The company said its nationwide camera network records passing vehicles and allows thousands of agencies in 49 states to search and share the data.
- Flock will require all law enforcement customers to use an audit tool that flags abnormal searches, with accounts locked pending internal review if suspicious behavior is detected.
- The company is reducing its standard data-retention period from 30 days to seven days, while allowing longer retention for evidence tied to a case number.
- Users will have to enter a case-related code before running a search, and customers will be able to restrict which offense types outside agencies can search for, including blocking immigration-related searches.
- Critics, including the ACLU and a public-interest law firm, said the changes do not fully address the risk of abuse and warrantless surveillance.
Flock Safety said Thursday it is making changes to its license plate reader platform as the surveillance technology company faces bipartisan criticism, civil liberties scrutiny and complaints from communities across the United States. The company operates a nationwide network of automated cameras that capture license plate numbers and other vehicle details and lets law enforcement agencies search and share that data across jurisdictions.
Among the changes, Flock said all law enforcement customers will have to use an audit tool designed to flag abnormal search activity. If the system detects suspicious behavior, the user would be locked out pending an internal review. The company also said it is shortening its standard data-retention period from 30 days to seven days, while still allowing longer preservation when the information is tied to a case number.
Flock said users will now have to enter a code tied to a specific case before running searches, and customers will be able to decide which offense types outside agencies can search for. That option would let a city or department block outside searches tied to immigration enforcement, the company said.
Critics reacted cautiously, saying the updates may not prevent misuse. The ACLU said the shorter retention period was a step in the right direction, but described the other changes as inadequate. Robert Frommer of the Institute for Justice called the move window dressing, while a law professor quoted in the story said the company still needs stronger judicial and democratic oversight.
在外界对车牌识别网络的反弹声中，Flock宣布调整措施
Flock Safety周四表示，将对其车牌识别平台作出调整。这家公司因其监控技术在美国各地引发两党批评、公民自由组织关注以及社区投诉而承受压力。该公司运营着一个全国性的自动摄像头网络，可记录车牌号码和其他车辆信息，并允许执法机构跨辖区检索和共享这些数据。
在这些调整中，Flock表示，所有执法客户都必须使用一种审计工具，用于识别异常检索行为。如果系统发现可疑活动，相关用户将在内部审查期间被锁定。公司还将把默认数据保留期从30天缩短到7天，但如果数据与某个案件编号相关，则仍可保留更久。
Flock表示，用户今后在检索前必须输入与具体案件绑定的代码，客户也可以决定外部机构可检索哪些罪名类型。公司说，这一设置可让城市或部门阻止与移民执法有关的外部检索。
批评者对这些变化持谨慎态度，认为它们未必能阻止滥用。美国公民自由联盟称，缩短保留期是朝正确方向迈出的一步，但其他调整仍不足够。美国司法研究所的Robert Frommer称这些变化只是表面文章；报道中引述的一名法学教授则表示，相关系统仍需要更强的司法和民主监督。