Flock Safety had a car journalist stalked, wrongly accused, and detained
2 hours ago
- #AI Surveillance
- #Privacy Concerns
- #Police Mistakes
- A journalist was detained due to an error in Flock Safety's AI license plate system incorrectly matching his license plate to a stolen one in the NCIC database.
- The issue arose because the stolen plate entry in NCIC was incomplete (missing middle digits), and Flock's AI flagged partial matches without verifying full plates, leading to multiple similar incidents.
- Flock's Chief Communications Officer acknowledged the system's limitations, noting it depends on accurate data inputs and human verification, but lacks guardrails to distinguish partial from full matches.
- Local police acknowledged human error but emphasized the challenge of handling numerous license plate formats and the need for better verification processes to prevent such stops.
- The incident has sparked public debate on privacy and prompted city council discussions on Flock camera usage, highlighting concerns over mass surveillance and error rates.