Flock Safety makes changes to address some privacy concerns

Our Take

When a company facing sustained public scrutiny suddenly announces "changes to address privacy concerns," the smart response isn't relief — it's a closer look at what's actually changing versus what's just PR. Flock Safety has built a business model on quietly blanketing American roads with license plate readers, and now that local news outlets like NBC10 Boston are asking real questions, the company is apparently willing to adjust some dials. That's a sign the pressure campaign from residents, journalists, and advocates is working. It's not a sign the surveillance problem is solved.

Policy tweaks don't un-ring the bell of a camera that's already capturing your plate, your location, and your travel patterns dozens of times a week, feeding a searchable database that police departments across the country can query. Audit trails and "use policies" sound reassuring in a news segment, but they rely on trust in an industry that has already shown it will expand first and explain later. The real fix isn't a settings adjustment from the vendor — it's local communities deciding whether they want this infrastructure in their town at all, and demanding transparency and retention limits in writing, not in a press statement.

Credit to NBC10 Boston for pushing this story into the open. If you want to see how far this network already reaches near you, check our camera map, and if your town is debating a Flock contract, our take-action resources can help you push back before the cameras go up, not after.