From Ars Technica · · 2m
Florida cops find 11 mystery cameras, won't say who owns them
St. Lucie County discovered unpermitted Flock cameras tracking cars. Eleven have no known owner, raising fears about who accesses the data.
In brief
St. Lucie County discovered unpermitted Flock cameras tracking cars. Eleven have no known owner, raising fears about who accesses the data. Florida police uncovered fourteen unpermitted Flock cameras; eleven have unknown owners, sparking privacy concerns as the county gives owners thirty days to remove them…
Fourteen cameras found without permits
St. Lucie County police discovered fourteen Flock cameras tracking cars on county roads operating without required permits. Eleven cameras have no obvious owners.
Unknown owners raise alarm
Local residents told The Washington Post they were alarmed that no one knows who owns many of the mysterious cameras, raising concerns about who has access to sensitive tracking data.
Sheriff's office claims three cameras
The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office claimed three of the fourteen cameras but refused to explain why they never obtained required permits or whether they accessed recorded data.
Pattern of police misuse in Florida
Fort Pierce officer Josepher Crutchfield accessed a Flock database three hundred eighty two times while stalking an ex-girlfriend. Two Pinellas County cops were arrested for invasive tracking. Across the US, at least fifty cases of similar police misuse have been found.
County gives owners thirty days to remove cameras
St. Lucie County is giving camera owners thirty days to remove the unpermitted equipment, seemingly with no questions asked. One camera already came down after the county put up bright red notices.
Resident: I don't know who it is
Todd Richter, who manages a fishing supply shop across from a camera, said he has no issue with Flock readers so long as it is clear who is accessing them. I'm not happy about it unless I know who it is, and I don't.
“I'm not happy about it unless I know who it is, and I don't.”
Flock's history of installing without permission
A two thousand twenty four Forbes investigation found Flock has dropped the ball on permitting for years. Last December, Flock installed two cameras in Cambridge, Massachusetts, without telling anyone after officials banned the technology.
County will cover cameras if owners don't remove them
If cameras remain after the thirty day deadline, St. Lucie County staff plan to place plastic bags over them to prevent video capture. County officials will contact Flock if cameras are still up to investigate ownership.
The bottom line
Florida police uncovered fourteen unpermitted Flock cameras; eleven have unknown owners, sparking privacy concerns as the county gives owners thirty days to remove them.
