Key facts
- Flock Safety's new AI tool, OS Investigate, can track drivers using only movement patterns, without needing names or license plates.
- The system utilizes 69 prewritten prompts to access police databases, arrest records, and commercial data brokers.
- Some prompts allow identification based on location, time, and behavioral patterns, such as visiting multiple retail stores or banks.
- The tool can identify vehicle 'associates' by analyzing proximity to other vehicles at camera locations within a two-minute window.
- Flock Safety states the tool is in development and separate from its license-plate readers, designed to aid investigators with existing data.
- Critics, including the ACLU, express concerns about the extensive surveillance capabilities and potential for tracking individuals.
Flock Safety, a surveillance company with cameras in over 6,000 U.S. communities, has developed an artificial intelligence tool named OS Investigate that can track drivers based on their movement patterns alone, without requiring license plates or names. The system, previously known as Nightshift, is currently in development and testing with law enforcement partners.
According to a report by Wired, which obtained the system's code, OS Investigate features 69 prewritten prompts that allow police to query databases including plate scans, arrest records, and commercial data brokers containing personal information. Notably, 41 of these prompts do not require special permission, and 14 can function without any identifying vehicle information, relying instead on location, time, and a pattern of behavior.
One of the tool's capabilities involves identifying a vehicle's "associates" by analyzing how often other vehicles appear at the same cameras within a two-minute window. The code indicates that vehicles appearing three or more times with a confidence score above 0.75 are flagged. This functionality has drawn criticism, with a former police officer calling it "insane" and an ACLU analyst suggesting it leaves "very little space... like China."
Flock Safety has historically stated its technology does not track individuals. A spokesperson for the company, Paris Lewbel, described OS Investigate as a separate product designed to help investigators utilize existing agency records, and noted its capabilities may change before release. The company did not dispute Wired's reporting.
The use of Flock's license-plate readers has already faced public backlash, with activists vandalizing cameras across the country. Reports indicate that law enforcement has allegedly used the readers for stalking purposes. On Capitol Hill, Representative Thomas Massie is reportedly planning legislation to block federal funding for agencies deploying such technology.