On Thursday, the CEO of Flock—the company behind those license-plate-reading surveillance cameras popping up all over—announced a slew of policy changes to limit misuse of those cameras.
Over the past several months, Americans have gotten really mad at Flock. Much of that criticism stems from the fact that police across the country keep using the cameras to stalk their exes, stalk their current love interests, stalk their girlfriends' exes, and so on.
In response, people are developing creative ways to disable the cameras: knocking them over, painting over the lenses, cutting the wires, or simply placing plastic bags over them. And at least 20 local governments rolled back their use of the technology in July.
But Flock, CEO Garrett Langley says, is turning over a new leaf. The company is now making mandatory a previously-optional feature that flags “abnormal activity” for review, shortening the recommended data storage period for Flock surveillance products, and establishing (optional!) limits on data sharing between police departments.
But advocates say that these policy changes, most of which are strictly discretionary for police departments, likely won't curb the rampant abuse of Flock cameras. As my colleague Alex Nguyen put it, "Flock’s answer to a crisis of trust is to ask for more of it."
— Sophie Hurwitz
