Surveillance tech startup Flock has announced new policies and tools designed to curb the misuse of its automated license plate reader systems by law enforcement agencies. Key changes include reducing standard data retention from 30 days to seven days and introducing stricter controls for data sharing and extended storage.
A core feature highlighted by the company is ‘Audit Assistance’, a tool intended to flag atypical search patterns and abnormal activity. While Flock is making the tool mandatory for all customers by year’s end, privacy experts and civil rights advocates remain skeptical, calling for independent audits and questioning the lack of technical transparency regarding how the system actually detects violations.
- Flock reduces standard police data retention from 30 days to 7 days.
- The ‘Audit Assistance’ tool becomes mandatory for all customers by the end of the year.
- It aims to flag unusual search patterns and potential system misuse.
- Privacy experts demand independent evaluations and greater transparency.
Sources:
