Surveillance technology company Flock Safety is making major changes to how its automatic license plate reader (ALPR) system works after repeated reports of police officers using the data to stalk, harass, and monitor private individuals. CEO Garrett Langley is publicly admitting that the company got it wrong and is now introducing policy updates that it had previously refused to require.

Key facts at a glance

• Audit Assistance, which flags abnormal search behavior and locks out suspicious users, becomes mandatory.
• Users must enter case codes for searches; an administrator can override for emergencies, but the override is flagged.
• Default retention of ALPR data is shortened from 30 days to seven days.
• A new Evidence Mode preserves search data tied to a case number.
• Agencies can set granular data-sharing rules, such as allowing other departments to search only for specific crimes.
• The ACLU is skeptical, saying the changes may be more about public relations than fixing harm.

What Flock does

Flock Safety sells cameras and ALPR systems that capture images of license plates and vehicle characteristics around the clock. Law enforcement agencies use the technology to solve crimes, find stolen vehicles, and locate missing people. The company has expanded aggressively and now operates across thousands of U.S. communities.

But the technology has a dark side. Because it collects location data on every vehicle that passes a camera, it can be used to build detailed records of where a person has been. In the wrong hands, that data becomes a tool for stalking or harassment.

Abuse cases that triggered change

The recent wave of reports includes a police chief in Braselton, Georgia, who allegedly searched his ex-girlfriend's license plate more than 500 times over seven months. Another case involved a former Riverside County Sheriff's Office deputy in California who was accused of using Flock data to stalk his ex-girlfriend and look up men she was dating.

These are not isolated incidents. According to the nonprofit Institute for Justice, reports of Flock and other ALPR abuse have been documented since at least 2021. The recent cases have focused new attention on the lack of safeguards in Flock's system.

What is changing

Flock is implementing several updates over the coming weeks. The biggest change is that Audit Assistance becomes mandatory for all agencies. This feature was launched in April as a voluntary tool, but only about one-third of agencies turned it on. Flock now says identifying abuse predictably went up among the agencies that did enable it. By requiring it, the company hopes to prevent incidents before they escalate.

Another change is the case code requirement. Every search will require a case code linked to a legitimate law enforcement purpose. This is designed to prevent officers from running queries for personal reasons. In emergency situations, an administrator can override the requirement, but the override itself will be logged and reviewed.

Data retention is also being reduced. The default period for storing license plate data will fall from 30 days to seven days. Police departments can still choose to keep data longer, but they will have to make an explicit decision to do so. The company is also introducing Evidence Mode, which ties retained data to a specific case number so that information used in an investigation is not unnecessarily preserved.

Data sharing is being made more flexible. Previously, a local agency had to share all of its data with another agency or nothing. Now, agencies can set limits. For example, a police department could allow another agency to search its data for a homicide suspect but not for immigration enforcement.

Why the reversal?

For years, Langley argued that local policymakers should decide what safeguards to impose on Flock's technology. The company resisted requiring Audit Assistance or case codes, saying those were decisions for lawmakers. But little regulation has actually passed, and Langley says he has seen how slowly the process moves.

"This is such an obvious way to curb abuse," he said. "And I said, 'Fine. You know what? I think that's right, and we got this one wrong. We should make it a requirement.'"

Langley says he still believes legislation is the right long-term answer, and he hopes any rules will apply equally to competing ALPR companies. But he now recognizes that waiting for lawmakers is not an excuse for inaction. "All I guess I'm asking for is a fair shot," he said.

Civil liberties groups respond

The ACLU has responded to Flock's announcement with caution. In an analysis, the group said the changes appear "more focused on addressing a perceived PR problem than the significant harms its products create." While the ACLU called the shorter data retention period a potential "step in the right direction," it said the real impact will depend on how Evidence Mode and the new audit tools are implemented.

The group is also calling for independent testing of Flock's auditing and search reason requirement tools to verify they actually prevent abuse. Without independent review, the ACLU says there is no way to know whether the changes are effective or just symbolic.

Broader context

Flock is not the only company facing scrutiny over police surveillance tools. Automatic license plate readers have become common in American policing, and civil liberties advocates have long warned about the dangers of mass location tracking. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has accused Flock of misleading the public about the risks, and there are ongoing concerns that ALPR data could be used to target people seeking abortions or reproductive care.

Flock has said officers are prohibited from performing searches related to reproductive care in states where such searches are restricted. But critics argue that a patchwork of state laws and internal policies is not enough to prevent misuse.

Langley's tone toward critics has softened significantly. In a Forbes interview last year, he described DeFlock, a website that tracks Flock's cameras around the country, as a "terroristic" group. He later apologized, calling that characterization a "mistake." Now he says frequent conversations with community members have helped him understand why privacy advocates have so little trust in the company.

Impact of the technology

Langley says he remains proud of the positive uses of Flock's technology. In July alone, he says, the system helped find almost a thousand missing people and more than 22,000 stolen cars. But he now believes that impact brings an added responsibility.

"It took me maybe longer than it should have to realize the sheer impact of the company," he said. "I'm still surprised. I got our July update a week ago, and we helped find almost a thousand missing people, over 22,000 stolen cars -- in July. That's crazy. That's such a big impact on the world. And what I came to realize over time was that the responsibility that bears with it is an obligation to make sure that it's creating a society that we both, you and I, and everyone around us, want to raise their kids in."

Flock's changes are set to roll out in the coming weeks, but the company has not said how quickly every agency will be required to adopt the new rules. Langley also predicts that mandatory audits will lead to more officers being caught and punished: "You are going to see more officers fired and more officers arrested for abusing police power."

Source:The Verge News