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Flock Safety surveillance network faces intense U.S. Congressional scrutiny
The expanding use of Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) network has triggered intense scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and local governments over privacy and constitutional rights. During a recent Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing, lawmakers including Senators Josh Hawley and Dick Durbin examined the implications of a surveillance network that spans 49 states and processes billions of vehicle reads monthly.
Witnesses at the hearing highlighted the potential for real-world harm, including the case of Lindsey Isaacs, a Florida resident who was wrongfully jailed for 13 days after a Flock camera misidentified her vehicle in connection to a fatal crash. Additionally, cybersecurity research suggests the network is even larger than previously reported, potentially encompassing over 170,000 cameras and 130,000 supplemental devices.
Legislative and local responses are mounting. Florida Representative Greg Steube introduced the FLAFO Act, which seeks to prohibit federal agencies from accessing Flock cameras without a judicial warrant. Locally, cities like Watsonville and jurisdictions in Missouri have moved to reduce or terminate their contracts with the company. In Ventura, California, officials reported that thousands of unauthorized queries were made by out-of-state agencies on their local camera data.
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley declined to testify at the Senate hearing, instead providing a letter stating that the company relies on its client agencies to oversee their own searches and data retention policies.
Entities
American Civil Liberties Union · Dick Durbin · Flock Safety · Greg Steube · Institute for Justice · Josh Hawley · Lindsey Isaacs · Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism · U.S. Senate · United States Senate
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley stated in a letter that the company relies on client agencies to police their own searches and data retention. me.mashable.com · sea.mashable.com · mashable.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Lindsey Isaacs testified that she was wrongfully jailed for 13 days after a Flock camera misidentified her vehicle in a fatal crash. yournews.com · www.theverge.com · www.missourinet.com · brobible.com · www.polialert.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A cybersecurity researcher's map suggests Flock operates over 170,000 cameras and 130,000 supplemental devices across the U.S. theintercept.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Philadelphia City Council passed a resolution urging state leaders to ban or strictly regulate automated license plate readers. 6abc.com
- [● 6 SOURCES] The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee held a hearing to examine the privacy implications and data security of Flock Safety's surveillance network. www.polialert.com · www.theverge.com · www.missourinet.com · me.mashable.com · sea.mashable.com · +1 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Ventura Police Department reported that 3,000 out-of-state agencies performed tens of thousands of unauthorized queries on their camera data. www.newspress.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Rep. Greg Steube introduced the FLAFO Act to prevent federal agencies from accessing Flock Safety cameras without a warrant. offthepress.com · dailycaller.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Senator Josh Hawley expressed concern that Flock's network allows unrestricted nationwide access to personal information. www.polialert.com · www.theverge.com · www.missourinet.com · newstalkkzrg.com