2 months ago
- Flock's FreeForm AI search allows police to search for people by descriptors like clothing, accessories, or race across hundreds of cameras, not just vehicles via license plates.
- Searches can be broad and vague (e.g., 'person walking', 'backpack', 'gray shirt'), potentially capturing images of innocent individuals, raising surveillance and privacy concerns.
- Civil liberties groups criticize the system as a 'bait-and-switch', expanding surveillance capabilities significantly without facial recognition, by analyzing video data like text.
- Some searches reference race or political affiliation (e.g., 'white male', 'non caucasian male', 'Trump flag'), despite Flock claiming guardrails against such attributes.
- Flock integrates AI video analytics with license plate readers, linking data streams to track individuals' movements and details extensively, amid public backlash over privacy risks.