Flock says new tool will help spot police abuse, but how it works remains unclear
Surveillance startup Flock announced new policies and a tool called Audit Assistance to curb abuse of its license plate cameras, but privacy experts question its effectiveness and transparency.
Flock, the company behind automated license plate recognition cameras, on Thursday unveiled a set of new policies and tools that it says will help prevent misuse of its systems by law enforcement. Among the changes, Flock now recommends that police departments keep data for seven days instead of 30. It is also introducing "Evidence Mode," which allows for longer retention in exceptional cases when a case number is provided. Customers can also restrict data sharing with other agencies based on the type of offense under investigation.
The centerpiece of the announcement is a feature called "Audit Assistance," launched in April. Flock says more than a third of its customers have already enabled it, and it will be mandatory for all customers by year-end. The tool is designed to "detect abnormal activity and flag it for Administrator review," according to the company. Flagged users can be automatically locked out until an administrator intervenes. Flock claims the tool has already helped customers identify and stop abuse.
However, Flock has not offered a detailed explanation of how Audit Assistance works internally. In videos and statements, company executives described it as a tool that flags unusual search patterns, such as an officer searching the same license plate repeatedly or using multiple case codes for the same plate. A customer, Major Patrick Krieg of the Dunwoody Police Department in Georgia, called it "an algorithm that has notified us of any type of bias."
Flock told TechCrunch that Audit Assistance is not based on machine learning or AI, but rather a data tool that flags atypical search patterns for review. A flag does not necessarily mean abuse; it only indicates the need for further investigation.
Still, many questions remain. TechCrunch has asked about the tool's effectiveness, false positive and negative rates, and whether it has been audited by a third party. Privacy advocates are skeptical. Chad Marlow of the American Civil Liberties Union said there is no evidence the tool works consistently and called for an independent evaluation. Cooper Quintin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation argued that even if the tool works, law enforcement could find ways around it, and the real solution is legal accountability. Rachel Levinson-Waldman of the Brennan Center said making Audit Assistance mandatory is a positive step but that the tool itself needs to be audited.
The announcement comes after years of reported cases of abuse involving Flock's cameras. Earlier this week, three former Georgia sheriff's deputies were arrested for allegedly using Flock cameras to stalk people they had personal relationships with. The Bibb County Sheriff's Office specifically credited Audit Assistance for uncovering that misuse.
