LAPD lets contract with surveillance giant Flock expire

21 days ago

LAPD will not renew its contract with Flock Safety due to civil liberties and privacy concerns.
Flock's network includes at least 80,000 cameras that scan license plates for police and federal agencies.
Other U.S. cities have also ended deals with Flock over privacy and surveillance issues.
Flock cameras have faced backlash, including vandalism and unauthorized reinstallations.
Errors with license plate readers have led to wrongful police stops, detentions, and arrests.
Security lapses exposed Flock cameras and data, raising concerns about hacking and data privacy.
Flock expressed surprise at the contract end, claiming it could address misconceptions.

Flock Safety cameras are being vandalized across the US, with individuals using saws, paint, and trucks, and cities canceling contracts due to privacy concerns.
The company's network of 120,000 cameras records license plates and vehicle data, used by police for crime-solving, but critics argue it invades privacy and enables surveillance.
Opposition to Flock is bipartisan, uniting conservatives and progressives who see it as a threat to individual liberties and a step toward a police state.

A writer was mistakenly arrested due to Flock license plate camera system error.
Flock's AI matched partial plate '34 DTM' to similar but non-stolen plate '34 10 DTM', causing false alerts.
The issue affects all vehicles with similar plate structure nationally where Flock is used.

Flock cameras are installed across the US without public consent, tracking vehicles via license plate recognition.
The cameras capture vehicle details like plate, make, model, color, and direction; data is stored in the cloud and searchable across a network.
Risks include AI-driven false alerts, cloud security vulnerabilities, unauthorized access by multiple agencies, and potential misuse for profiling.

Flock Safety's AI-powered license plate readers in Roseville, California, had a 71% misread rate for stolen or felony alerts in 2023-2024, according to police department analysis.
Roseville's atypical camera setup—only capturing vehicle backs, higher placement, and older hardware—contributed to frequent misreads and missed vehicles.
Despite errors, the city continues using Flock because the cameras have helped solve crimes; Roseville spent around $450,000 on Flock products since 2020.

A vigilante known as 'NoMark' has been disabling Flock Safety's automated license plate readers (ALPRs) in Minneapolis, citing surveillance concerns.
Flock Safety's ALPRs, used by law enforcement across the US, have sparked backlash from privacy advocates who view them as mass surveillance tools.
Vigilantes nationwide are damaging or obstructing Flock cameras, with at least 33 documented incidents across 23 states, often to protest surveillance.

Flock Safety cameras are being vandalized across the US, with individuals using saws, paint, and trucks, and cities canceling contracts due to privacy concerns.
The company's network of 120,000 cameras records license plates and vehicle data, used by police for crime-solving, but critics argue it invades privacy and enables surveillance.
Opposition to Flock is bipartisan, uniting conservatives and progressives who see it as a threat to individual liberties and a step toward a police state.

A writer was mistakenly arrested due to Flock license plate camera system error.
Flock's AI matched partial plate '34 DTM' to similar but non-stolen plate '34 10 DTM', causing false alerts.
The issue affects all vehicles with similar plate structure nationally where Flock is used.

Flock cameras are installed across the US without public consent, tracking vehicles via license plate recognition.
The cameras capture vehicle details like plate, make, model, color, and direction; data is stored in the cloud and searchable across a network.
Risks include AI-driven false alerts, cloud security vulnerabilities, unauthorized access by multiple agencies, and potential misuse for profiling.

Flock Safety's AI-powered license plate readers in Roseville, California, had a 71% misread rate for stolen or felony alerts in 2023-2024, according to police department analysis.
Roseville's atypical camera setup—only capturing vehicle backs, higher placement, and older hardware—contributed to frequent misreads and missed vehicles.
Despite errors, the city continues using Flock because the cameras have helped solve crimes; Roseville spent around $450,000 on Flock products since 2020.

A vigilante known as 'NoMark' has been disabling Flock Safety's automated license plate readers (ALPRs) in Minneapolis, citing surveillance concerns.
Flock Safety's ALPRs, used by law enforcement across the US, have sparked backlash from privacy advocates who view them as mass surveillance tools.
Vigilantes nationwide are damaging or obstructing Flock cameras, with at least 33 documented incidents across 23 states, often to protest surveillance.

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