Flock Safety Cuts License Plate Data Retention to Boost Privacy Controls

Flock Safety is changing how police use its massive camera network. The company now recommends keeping license plate data for only seven days instead of the previous thirty. This move comes after dozens of cities and counties pulled out of the program because of privacy worries. The network spans nearly 120,000 cameras across fifty-nine states and helps law enforcement track vehicles during investigations.

To guard against abuse, Flock is adding new rules. Detectives can now save specific plate info as evidence in active cases through a feature called Evidence Mode. Communities will also get more say over which outside groups can search their cameras via offense filtering. These steps aim to let local authorities stay in charge of their own data while reducing risks of misuse.

Critics argue the changes aren't enough. The ACLU praised the shorter retention window but warned that Evidence Mode could still hold onto location details longer than intended. Other states have passed their own laws about surveillance tech, yet there is no unified rule across the nation. Some police departments have already cancelled deals with Flock after bad reports surfaced.

The shift shows how public pressure is pushing tech companies to think twice about privacy. As more places reconsider their use of automated license plate readers, the debate continues about balancing safety needs with personal freedom. Whether the new safeguards truly fix the problems remains to be seen.