Key facts
- Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley advocates for a balance between privacy and safety.
- The company's surveillance technology, including cameras and license plate readers, faces scrutiny.
- Reports indicate police officers have used Flock technology for unauthorized surveillance.
- Flock has implemented changes like reducing data retention to seven days.
- Politicians from both parties have voiced concerns and called for action against Flock's proliferation.
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley has called for a "compromise" between privacy and safety, as the surveillance technology company confronts mounting public criticism and political scrutiny. Langley stated during a Fox News interview that prioritizing only privacy or safety is the "wrong thing" and that a balance is necessary.
The company's use of cameras, drones, and license plate recognition technology has drawn concern over potential misuse. The Washington Post reported on 46 instances where police officers allegedly used Flock technology for unauthorized purposes, including stalking. Langley apologized to one alleged victim, telling CBS News, "It kills me that she went through that," but maintained that Flock did not create police abuse, but rather provided tools to identify it.
Political figures from both major parties have targeted Flock. Michigan's Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed criticized his opponent for supporting the "mass proliferation of Flock cameras." Senator Bernie Sanders posted a call to "STOP AI MASS SURVEILLANCE. STOP FLOCK." On the Republican side, three House Republicans introduced legislation to prohibit federal government purchase of automated surveillance systems, specifically mentioning Flock Safety cameras.
In response to criticism, Flock has reduced its default data retention period from 30 days to seven days and implemented a requirement for a case code to access data. However, these changes can be overridden through an "Evidence Mode." The American Civil Liberties Union noted that while the changes might be a step in the right direction, their effectiveness depends on how "Evidence Mode" operates, and they did not meet the ACLU's recommended 48-hour retention period.
Langley has also suggested that state regulators should criminalize the illegal use of Flock data and has pointed out the lack of regulation and accountability in many technologies, including Flock's.