Flock Safety tightens police access to license plate reader data
The short version: 11Alive reports Flock Safety is adding new access controls after misuse concerns, but a vendor policing itself is no substitute for real oversight.
Our Take
Credit to 11Alive for pressing on this: when the company selling the surveillance network is the one announcing new "privacy controls," that's a headline worth scrutinizing, not celebrating. Flock Safety has faced a string of stories about officers running plate searches for personal reasons, sharing data across state lines, and departments quietly expanding networks without public debate. Tightening internal audit logs or search justifications is a start, but it's Flock grading its own homework — the same company that profits from every new camera installed and every new department signed up.
Real accountability doesn't come from a corporate dashboard update. It comes from public records, city council votes, retention limits written into law, and independent audits that police can't quietly disable. Self-imposed guardrails can be loosened just as easily as they were added, especially once the news cycle moves on. If a department's compliance depends entirely on trusting the vendor's terms of service, that's not oversight — that's marketing.
If you want to see how far this network already reaches in your area, check our camera map, and if you think your city council should be asking harder questions before renewing a Flock contract, our take-action page has resources to help you push back.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of 11Alive, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.