From Valleynewslive · · 1m 30s
Senators probe Flock cameras and data access
Senators question Flock's surveillance network after reports of police misuse.
In brief
Senators question Flock's surveillance network after reports of police misuse. U.S. senators held a hearing on Flock's AI-powered license plate readers following reports of police misuse and privacy concerns. Originally reported by Valleynewslive.
Senate hearing on Flock cameras
U.S. senators held a hearing Wednesday to examine how police have misused Flock's automated license plate readers for stalking civilians and officers.
“The reporting on what these cameras can do is really pretty wild”
Flock executives absent
Flock Safety CEO and other major surveillance company leaders did not attend the hearing despite being invited to testify.
“Flock does not believe Americans' privacy should depend on one vendor's good judgment”
Privacy concerns raised
InvestigateTV reported 19 instances in Georgia where police were arrested or relieved for misusing Flock's database for personal reasons.
“Flock Safety operates more than 120,000 automated license plate reader cameras”
Data retention policy
Flock retains license plate data for 30 days across jurisdictions, allowing law enforcement to search historical records.
“The data is retained and searchable by law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions for 30 days”
Public verification challenges
Flock removed officer names from external searches and license plate numbers from audit logs, limiting public ability to verify vehicle searches.
“Privacy advocates and public records watchdogs also raised alarms after Flock removed officer names from external network searches”
Senator Hawley's concerns
Senator Hawley stated the Constitution remains valid and emphasized the need to protect Bill of Rights for law-abiding citizens.
“The Constitution of the United States is still just as valid and applicable today as it was almost 250 years ago”
Innocent woman jailed
Lindsay Issacs spent 13 days in jail after Flock's camera falsely identified her vehicle in a fatal accident.
“A Flock camera captured my vehicle a few miles from a terrible crash I had nothing to do with that led to 13 days in jail”
Senator Durbin's call
Senator Durbin urged Congress to balance privacy and security by establishing constitutional boundaries for surveillance technology.
“We have got to find a way to balance in America privacy and security”
Civil liberties advocates
Civil liberties groups called for federal regulations to ban law enforcement from using ALPRs with federal funding.
“The time has come for Congress to ban any law enforcement entity who receives federal funding from using ALPRs”
The takeaway
U.S. senators held a hearing on Flock's AI-powered license plate readers following reports of police misuse and privacy concerns.
