Los Angeles Police Department Halts Use of Flock Cameras Over Privacy Concerns
The LAPD has suspended its contract with Flock Safety after the three-year deal expired, citing unresolved data privacy and security issues. The cameras, used for license plate recognition, had drawn criticism for data sharing with ICE and cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
The Los Angeles Police Department has suspended its use of surveillance technology from Flock Safety after its three-year contract, signed in 2023, expired over the weekend. Flock operates 138 cameras across the city, primarily for license plate recognition. While this data can help law enforcement locate stolen vehicles or those linked to wanted individuals, city leaders raised concerns about the privacy safeguards for the collected information. Flock has reportedly shared data with state and federal authorities, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), despite California laws that restrict what details companies can share with government officials. LAPD Chief Information Officer Dean Gialamas told the Los Angeles Times that the key issue is establishing clear terms regarding data ownership and what happens to the data after collection. He stated the department will stop using Flock "until we can get those data, privacy, security and sharing concerns ironed out through a contractual relationship." In addition to the privacy issues around data sharing with immigration authorities, Flock cameras have been found to have multiple cybersecurity flaws, raising further concerns about the security of the system.
