Flock Safety's CEO says safeguards will be added to cameras in January

Key Points:

• Flock Safety, a company that produces license plate camera readers, is implementing mandatory safeguards for law enforcement to prevent misuse after facing privacy backlash and concerns about police overreach.
• New measures include mandatory use of an auditing system to detect unusual searches, linking searches to specific criminal cases, and reducing data retention from 30 days to seven days unless preserved as evidence.
• The company emphasized that its cameras do not provide live video, record conversations, or use facial recognition, and it will not sell data or weaponize drones, aiming to balance investigative power with privacy protections.
• Recent incidents of misuse by North Carolina officers have heightened concerns, prompting Flock CEO Garrett Langley to advocate for stronger state laws requiring audits and penalties for misuse.
• Some community members expressed surprise and discomfort upon learning about the presence and data collection capabilities of Flock's cameras in public areas.