ABC News - Privacy laws slow adoption of Flock cameras in New Hampshire

Our Take

Credit to Peter Tran and ABC News for spotlighting something we don't get to say often: a state where Flock's expansion is actually being slowed down by the law. New Hampshire has long had some of the toughest data-privacy statutes in the country, and this segment shows what happens when lawmakers actually put guardrails on plate-reader data before the cameras go up on every corner — instead of after a scandal forces the issue.

The Brown University case is the go-to example every ALPR vendor and police department will cite for the next decade, and it's a real investigative win. But one solved case doesn't answer the harder question this piece raises: how much retention, sharing, and access is acceptable for a network that scans every plate, on every car, regardless of suspicion? New Hampshire's answer — strict limits — is proof that you don't have to choose between having zero investigative tools and having a statewide dragnet. There's a middle ground, and it starts with legislation, not vendor promises.

Every town considering a Flock contract should be asking the same questions New Hampshire's laws already force: who can query this data, how long is it kept, and who's auditing the audits? Check our map to see what's already deployed near you, and if your state doesn't have New Hampshire-style protections yet, our take-action page has the tools to start pushing for them.