Wired says it obtained and reconstructed the code powering Flock Safety’s next-generation AI system and found the tool reaches far beyond the license plate recognition the company is known for. The system is already deployed with some police departments, the outlet reported.
The Atlanta-based firm operates a network of about 120,000 automatic plate readers across the US, and its new AI layer extends what officers can pull from that web of cameras. The findings land in the middle of a privacy backlash that has pushed some cities to cancel contracts and several states to weigh limits or outright bans on plate reader networks.
Documented abuse cases are fueling the pushback. The Washington Post identified 50 instances of officers misusing systems from Flock and its rivals, often to stalk or harass women; in one Wisconsin case, an officer allegedly ran his ex-girlfriend’s plate 179 times. Flock says it now requires a case number before every search, but MIT Technology Review reports the company does not verify those numbers, so officers can enter bogus ones. Retention rules also remain loose, with agencies able to hold data well beyond the seven-day window Flock recommends.
