License plate camera company halts cooperation with federal agencies
15 days ago
- #license plate cameras
- #data privacy
- #law enforcement
- Flock Safety, a leading operator of automated license-plate reading systems, has paused its operations with federal agencies due to concerns about investigation purposes.
- Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias raised concerns after an audit found Customs and Border Protection had accessed Illinois data, violating a 2023 state law.
- Flock Safety's cameras capture billions of license plate photos monthly, but data ownership lies with local agencies, not the company.
- The company initiated pilot programs with federal agencies to combat human trafficking and fentanyl distribution but admitted poor communication and unclear parameters.
- Flock Safety has tweaked its system to clearly identify federal inquiries and restrict blanket searches, allowing only one-on-one searches with specific police agencies.
- Following a June incident, Flock Safety implemented flag terms like 'abortion,' 'immigration,' or 'ICE' to reject related searches.