The CEO of surveillance company Flock Safety apologized Thursday for instances in which law enforcement officers misused the company’s network of license-plate cameras and announced new safeguards aimed at preventing future abuse.
According to CBS News and company statements, Flock CEO Garrett Langley addressed reports, including a Washington Post investigation, that officers in multiple cases improperly accessed the system. Some of those cases allegedly involved tracking personal acquaintances or stalking.
“I apologize,” Langley said in an interview. “It kills me that she went through that.” He acknowledged the company could have acted sooner on accountability measures.
Flock operates a nationwide network of more than 120,000 cameras that capture license plate numbers and vehicle details. The technology is widely used by police departments to investigate crimes, locate stolen vehicles, and find missing people.
In response to the concerns, the company is implementing several changes. The default data retention period will drop from 30 days to seven days. Data tied to an active investigation can be preserved longer through a new “Evidence Mode.” Every search will require a case code, with limited emergency overrides that are flagged for review. By the end of the year, all law enforcement customers must activate a tool that flags abnormal search behavior and can lock out users pending administrative review. Agencies will also gain the ability to limit which types of offenses outside departments can search for in their camera data.
The American Civil Liberties Union described the shorter retention period as a possible step in the right direction but said the effectiveness of the new Evidence Mode and other controls remains to be seen.
Langley defended the overall value of the technology while stressing higher standards for those with access. “When you are given power, particularly in law enforcement, you should have higher standards of accountability,” he said.
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