Key facts
- Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley urged a compromise between privacy and safety regarding the company's AI license plate cameras.
- Langley suggested regulating camera use, similar to traffic laws, rather than banning them outright.
- Lawmakers like Senator Bernie Sanders and House Republicans have criticized Flock's technology as "AI mass surveillance."
- Investigations revealed instances of police misuse of Flock cameras and a lack of regular auditing by departments.
- Flock is now requiring law enforcement customers to enable an audit assistance tool and has developed an AI tool to identify drivers by movement patterns.
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley has called for a national compromise on privacy and safety concerns surrounding the company's AI-powered license plate cameras. In an interview with Fox News, Langley argued that framing the issue as a binary choice between privacy and safety is misguided, likening calls for an outright ban to banning vehicles.
Langley's remarks come amid growing backlash against Flock's technology, which has faced vandalism and bipartisan criticism in Congress. Senator Bernie Sanders has vowed to introduce legislation to halt "AI mass surveillance," while House Republicans, including Representative Tim Burchett, have proposed barring federal agencies from purchasing Flock cameras. Senator Josh Hawley has also initiated a Senate inquiry.
Instead of a ban, Langley proposed focusing on data retention policies and accountability for officers who misuse the system. Flock recently reduced its recommended data retention period to seven days, a move that aligns with stricter state limits. He asserted that the vast majority of law enforcement officers are "good."
Recent investigations have highlighted concerns about the technology's use. A Washington Post report found that at least 69 police officials have faced accusations or convictions for misusing Flock or similar plate readers, with misuse often identified by individuals outside the departments. In response to these findings, Flock announced it would mandate its "Audit Assistance" tool, which flags unusual search patterns, for all law enforcement customers by year-end. This feature had previously been optional, with only about a third of Flock's 7,000 agency customers having enabled it.
Furthermore, a WIRED investigation revealed Flock's development of an AI tool capable of identifying drivers based solely on their movement patterns, without requiring license plate or name information. Langley acknowledged the power and potential danger of AI, emphasizing the need for third-party attestation for its deployment in public safety, stating, "There's no space for hallucination."
Flock claims its technology supported over a million criminal investigations and helped locate more than 10,000 missing people last year, according to its internal Impact Census survey. The company estimates its cameras contributed to approximately 20% of cleared cases in jurisdictions where they are deployed.