Flock Safety Tightens ALPR Controls After Misuse Allegations

Flock Safety announced changes to its automated license plate reader platform after sustained criticism over police misuse of its system, including allegations of stalking and improper searches. The company said it will recommend a 7-day default retention period instead of 30 days, add offense-based sharing filters, require search-reason logging and Audit Assistance for law-enforcement customers, implement proactive account lockouts for abnormal activity, mandate multi-factor authentication, commission an independent security review by Bishop Fox, and launch a coordinated vulnerability disclosure program.

Civil-liberties advocates said the measures do not resolve broader risks posed by Flock’s surveillance network, which spans more than 120,000 ALPRs across at least 6,000 U.S. cities. Critics argued that exceptions such as Evidence Mode could still allow indefinite retention, that prior search-purpose controls were reportedly easy to bypass, and that there is no independent proof the audit tooling reliably detects abuse. The backlash follows reports of at least 46 cases of alleged improper access and adds to concerns about data sharing, wrongful stops, non-law-enforcement use, and the continued expansion of camera deployments.