MIT Technology Review is reporting that Flock Safety, a police-tech company known for its extensive network of automatic license plate readers across the U.S., recently announced changes to its platform aimed at preventing officers from misusing the system. The publication said these updates are intended to curb illegal or illegitimate uses, including stalking. The Washington Post previously identified 50 instances where officers misused systems from Flock and its competitors, often to stalk and harass women. MIT Technology Review noted one case where an officer allegedly searched for his ex-girlfriend's car 179 times.
Flock's response includes implementing software to flag abnormal searches and requiring officers to enter a criminal case number for each search. However, MIT Technology Review highlighted significant loopholes in these new policies. It said officers can still enter bogus case numbers, similar to how they have circumvented previous safeguards.
The publication also pointed out that the new policies do not address broader concerns from civil liberties and privacy groups, which argue that Flock's system is evolving into a mass surveillance network rather than solely a crime-stopping tool. This backlash has led some cities to cancel contracts and states to consider laws limiting or banning license plate readers.
MIT Technology Review examined arguments defending Flock's systems, which suggest their crime-solving potential outweighs privacy concerns. However, the publication questioned the fundamental design choices of Flock's network regarding data collection, access, retention, and sharing. It suggested alternative designs, such as verifying case numbers against police records, limiting data access to specific emergencies like Amber Alerts, and retaining data only for as long as it is genuinely useful for solving crimes.
The publication quoted Chad Marlow, a senior policy counsel at the ACLU, who stated that the most acceptable Flock contract by his standards is "one that is never signed," emphasizing that new laws, not company guidelines, are the best way to set surveillance limits. MIT Technology Review concluded that communities are increasingly driving their own rules for how such technology can be used to balance crime-fighting with civil liberties.
Full Article: What Flock’s defenders are missing