Flock Safety announced on Thursday a series of changes aimed at enhancing privacy protections related to its surveillance cameras. The updates come in response to ongoing concerns regarding the use of the technology, as reported by Just The News.
Under the new protocols, individual police departments will have the authority to restrict access to information for other law enforcement agencies. For instance, agencies may be permitted to search for data on stolen vehicles while preventing access to records related to immigration violations, according to a report by The New York Times.
Additionally, Flock will reduce the retention period for collected data from 30 days to one week, although local police departments can extend this duration if deemed necessary for investigations.
Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, commented that the changes are “good in theory,” but expressed concerns that Flock may be addressing privacy issues primarily as a public relations matter. Critics argue that substantial legislative changes are necessary to impose real limitations on surveillance technologies.
Currently, thousands of law enforcement agencies utilize Flock’s system, which includes approximately 120,000 cameras across the United States. These cameras are designed to scan license plates and monitor potential criminal activity. Reports of unauthorized access and general public discomfort with the surveillance of everyday drivers have sparked protests in various locations, prompting some cities to terminate their contracts with Flock.
The announcement of these new protocols comes amid ongoing public discourse regarding the use of surveillance cameras.