Flock makes updates to system after continued backlash
The short version: Flock says it's tweaking its ALPR system after InvestigateTV's reporting and months of public backlash, but 'updates' aren't the same as accountability.
Our Take
Credit where it's due: InvestigateTV has spent months digging into Flock Safety's practices, and that pressure is apparently forcing the company's hand. When a surveillance vendor starts talking publicly about "commitment to privacy," it's usually because reporters and residents made staying quiet more expensive than changing course. That's the system working as intended — journalism plus public scrutiny moving a powerful company that otherwise answers to almost no one.
But let's not get it twisted. A corporate press release promising updates is not the same as independent oversight, audit trails the public can actually see, or a legal right to know when your plate got scanned and by whom. Flock controls the database, the retention rules, and the narrative. "Continued commitment" language is the kind of thing companies say right before asking you to trust them a little longer with a nationwide network of cameras logging where you drive.
The real fix isn't a policy update announced on Flock's terms — it's transparency forced from outside: local ordinances, contract cancellations, and residents who know exactly where these cameras are watching. Check our map to see what's near you, and if your town has a Flock contract up for renewal, our take-action page has what you need to push back before the next round of quiet updates.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of InvestigateTV, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.