Key facts
- Flock Safety proposed a nationwide license plate scanning network.
- The plan involved using dashcams from approximately 350,000 Uber, Lyft, and delivery vehicles.
- Flock Safety intended to partner with Nexar for this initiative.
- The company stated the proposed deal was never executed.
- It is unclear if drivers or ride-sharing apps were aware of the proposal.
- Flock Safety is currently facing scrutiny over privacy concerns.
- Concerns have been raised about potential civil liberties violations related to Flock's technology.
Flock Safety, a company that provides license plate readers to law enforcement, had a plan to create a nationwide plate-scanning fleet. The proposal involved partnering with Nexar, a company that provides dashcams, to utilize cameras already installed in approximately 350,000 Uber, Lyft, and delivery vehicles. These dashcams would have been used to scan license plates across the country. Flock Safety has stated that this deal was never executed. It remains unclear whether drivers for these ride-sharing and delivery services, or the companies themselves, were aware of Flock's proposal. This plan has surfaced as Flock Safety is already facing significant scrutiny over its existing surveillance technology, with critics raising concerns about privacy and potential civil liberties violations.