Chris Larsen raises privacy concerns over San Francisco police surveillance

Chris Larsen, a billionaire and major donor to San Francisco’s police surveillance technology, has expressed concerns regarding the use of Flock automated license plate readers. While Larsen has committed millions of dollars to the San Francisco Police Department’s Real-Time Investigation Center, he suggested that the city needs to improve its handling of data privacy.

Larsen noted that San Francisco retains Flock information for one year, which is significantly longer than the 30-day industry average. He also advocated for technological safeguards, such as censoring or blacking out private areas like backyards and decks from surveillance footage. These comments follow reports of misuse of the technology, including improper searches by law enforcement and privacy concerns regarding data retention periods.