Flock Makes Changes To Cameras After Police Abuse [Op-Ed]

Over 100,000 Flock Cameras Deployed Across U.S. To Record Car Traffic — Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty

For some reason (profit, the reason is always profit), the United States government is totally OK with unleashing untested, new technology on the public and dealing with the consequences later. The latest instance of this phenomenon is Flock cameras, a surveillance system that captures incredibly detailed data about cars that pass by and stores it in a database. Flock has announced new changes to how the cameras work after it was found that police officers were using them to stalk their exes, among other things.

The Washington Post reports that each search through Flock’s database requires police officers to attach a criminal case number, and the system will automatically review all searches for “abnormal activity.” The company also said it will store license plate data in the database for only seven days, down from the previous 30-day limit.

The changes come after Flock found that cops in police departments across the country were using the technology to stalk their exes. In addition to being creep-ass weirdos, cops have also used Flock cameras to manufacture probable cause to arrest someone. This happened in Wisconsin, where deputies used the cameras to track a man who would regularly go to Michigan, where recreational cannabis is legal. When the man crossed the border, the officers arrested him for possession of marijuana.

These new changes were already built into the system but were previously optional. Flock chief executive Garrett Langley said in an interview that the company initially made the features optional because it believed law enforcement and local officials would implement the mandates themselves.

“I had this hope that local lawmakers at the state and local level would move very quickly and they’d look at the things that we’re recommending as optional and say, ‘Great, we’re going to force it.’ And they haven’t,” Langley said. “Instead of waiting, we said, ‘Look, we should just move faster.’”

Bruh. I damn near hit the Charlie Murphy laugh reading that statement.

What country does dude think we live in? Law enforcement and their unions have a tantrum whenever anyone suggests that maybe, just maybe, they shouldn’t be using lethal force on unarmed people. You think they’d willingly enforce rules on how cops use surveillance technology? Come on, now.

You might be wondering what’s the difference between Flock cameras and regular old traffic cameras. A traditional traffic camera at a stoplight will take a picture of your vehicle only if it detects an illegal maneuver, like speeding or running a red light. Flock cameras use AI to capture every minute detail about your vehicle as you pass by, regardless of whether you committed a crime. It’s an incredibly invasive technology, and I truly don’t understand how no one with any degree of power didn’t predict how easily it could be abused.

Several police departments have already ended their contracts with Flock in recent months. In Arizona, both the Chandler and Surprise police departments have suspended their contracts after uncovering potential misuse of the technology by people within their department. Other police departments have ended their contracts due to the widespread backlash against the technology. You don’t have to scroll too far on TikTok before you see videos of people destroying and vandalizing Flock cameras in their city.

While I would never tell someone to go out and commit a crime, it’s also not my business whether you decide to use a green laser pointer when you’re out and about.