Flock Safety Tightens Access

Flock Safety is limiting police access to its plate-reader network after abuse reports.

•Center & Right

Flock CEO apologizes for cases where surveillance technology was abused as company rolls out changes

We Spotted So Many Workarounds for Flock's New Rules on Police Camera Surveillance - CNET

Flock says its new tool will help identify police abuse, but hasn’t explained how it works | TechCrunch

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A neutral summary of the key facts most outlets agree on, drawn from reporting across the political spectrum.

Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley apologized Thursday for law enforcement misuse of the company’s license-plate reader network and said all police customers must adopt by the end of 2026 an audit tool that flags abnormal searches and suspends access for review. Flock is cutting its recommended default data retention period from 30 days to seven days. It will also let agencies limit outside departments’ access and require officers to justify searches. The changes follow 46 reported cases of improper police use, including officers accused of tracking romantic partners, amid scrutiny of Flock’s 120,000-plus cameras.

Analysis & opinion

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Inadequate SafeguardsLeft & Center

Flock’s new privacy rules are not enough to stop police abuse of its license-plate-reader network. The reforms leave loopholes, rely too much on trust and technical fixes, and look more like damage control than real accountability.

Dangerous SurveillanceLeft & Center

Pervasive license-plate-reader surveillance is fundamentally unsafe in the hands of police and companies like Flock. Repeated abuses, wrongful identifications, and disregard for community privacy concerns show that the problem is the surveillance system itself, not just a few bad policies.