Flock announces changes amid backlash over its license plate reader network
- Flock Safety said it will change its license plate reader platform after growing criticism from lawmakers, civil liberties groups and the public over privacy and misuse concerns.
- The company said law enforcement customers will be required to use an audit tool, and abnormal search behavior could trigger a lockout pending internal review.
- Flock plans to shorten its standard data retention period from 30 days to seven days, while still allowing longer preservation when the data is tied to a case number.
- Users will have to enter a code from their records management system to link each search to a specific case, and emergency overrides will be flagged for review.
- Customers will be able to limit which offense types outside agencies can search for, including blocking searches tied to immigration enforcement.
- Critics said the changes may not be enough to prevent abuse, while Flock’s CEO said the measures are meant to increase accountability and reflect community values.
Flock Safety said it is changing parts of its license plate reader system after mounting backlash over privacy concerns and reports that some law enforcement users had misused the technology. The company runs a nationwide network of cameras that record vehicle plate numbers and other details and share that data across jurisdictions for investigations.
Among the announced changes, Flock will require law enforcement customers to use an audit tool meant to detect unusual search patterns, with abnormal activity potentially leading to a lockout during review. The company also said it will make a number of safeguards mandatory by Jan. 1.
Flock said it will reduce its standard data retention period from 30 days to seven days. It will still allow longer retention when the material is preserved as evidence tied to a specific case number. The company also said users must connect each search to a case through their records management system, and emergency overrides will be flagged for review.
Customers will be able to decide which kinds of offenses outside agencies may search for, giving cities and departments a way to restrict searches related to immigration enforcement. Critics, including the ACLU and a public-interest law firm, said the changes do not fully solve the core problem of police controlling access to the system, while a law professor said the revisions were an improvement but still warrant closer scrutiny.
在围绕车牌识别网络的反弹中，Flock宣布调整措施
Flock Safety表示，在围绕隐私和部分执法人员滥用技术的指控引发持续反弹后，公司将调整其车牌识别系统的部分设计。该公司运营着一个全国性的摄像网络，记录车辆牌照和其他信息，并允许不同辖区的执法机构在调查中共享这些数据。
在公布的措施中，Flock将要求执法客户使用审计工具，用于识别异常搜索模式；一旦出现异常活动，相关账户可能在内部审查期间被锁定。公司还表示，若干安全措施将在1月1日前变为强制要求。
Flock说，它将把默认数据保存期从30天缩短到7天。不过，如果相关资料作为证据并与具体案件编号关联，仍可保留更长时间。公司还表示，用户必须通过记录管理系统把每次搜索与案件对应起来，紧急情况下的绕过操作也会被标记审查。
客户还可以决定外部机构可搜索哪些类型的罪名，从而限制与移民执法有关的搜索。包括美国公民自由联盟和一家公共利益法律机构在内的批评者认为，这些调整并未彻底解决执法人员掌握访问权限这一核心问题；一位法学教授则表示，修订比原先更好，但仍需要更严格的审视。