Key facts
- Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley is advocating for a compromise between privacy and safety concerning the company's AI surveillance technology.
- Langley suggested that regulation, similar to traffic laws, is a better approach than outright bans.
- The company faces bipartisan criticism from lawmakers like Senator Bernie Sanders and House Republicans concerned about 'AI mass surveillance'.
- Investigations have uncovered instances of police misuse of Flock cameras, including unauthorized tracking.
- Flock has implemented changes such as reducing the default data retention period to seven days and requiring an audit assistance tool for law enforcement.
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley is urging a national compromise between privacy and safety concerns surrounding the company's AI-powered license plate cameras. In a Fox News interview, Langley argued that focusing solely on privacy or safety is misguided and proposed regulation, akin to traffic laws, as a more appropriate approach than outright bans.
Langley's comments come as Flock faces increasing public backlash and bipartisan criticism from lawmakers. Senator Bernie Sanders has called for an end to 'AI mass surveillance,' and House Republicans, including Representative Tim Burchett, have introduced legislation to prevent federal agencies from acquiring Flock cameras. Senator Josh Hawley has also launched a Senate inquiry into the technology.
Recent investigations have highlighted potential misuse of Flock's technology. A Washington Post report identified numerous cases where police officers were accused of unauthorized use of Flock cameras and similar license plate readers. In response to these concerns, Flock has reduced its recommended data retention period to seven days and mandated its 'Audit Assistance' tool, which flags unusual search patterns, for all law enforcement customers. However, the ACLU has expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of these changes, particularly regarding the 'Evidence Mode' that can override data retention limits.
Flock has also developed an AI tool capable of identifying drivers based on their movement patterns, raising further privacy concerns. Langley acknowledged the power of AI and the need for accountability, suggesting that state regulators should criminalize the illegal use of Flock data.