Flock's New Surveillance Rules and Their Loopholes
The effectiveness of new regulations on police surveillance systems is under scrutiny.
1Flock's New Surveillance Rules
Flock Safety has announced new guidelines for how police can use its automatic license plate recognition and person detection cameras. However, each rule comes with exceptions. For example, data retention periods have been reduced from 30 days to 7, but existing customers can keep their current retention periods. This limits the impact of the changes.
2Data Retention and Exceptions
Under the new rules, data retention is reduced to 7 days, but an 'evidence mode' exception allows police to retain data indefinitely during active investigations. Existing customers also retain their current retention periods. These exceptions weaken the effectiveness of the new rules.
3Data Sharing with External Agencies
Flock aims to limit external agency access with a new 'offense filtering' feature. However, police departments can set their own limits on data sharing. Past reports indicate some departments have illegally shared data with agencies like ICE and the FBI.
4Audit Mechanisms
Flock will make its audit assistance feature mandatory by 2027. This feature detects suspicious usage and locks users out of the system. However, it's unclear who will conduct these audits. Having sheriffs or police chiefs as auditors raises concerns about independent oversight.
5Emergency Search Exception
New rules require a case code for every law enforcement search, but emergency searches are exempt. These searches will still be subject to administrator review, but how exceptions are applied remains unclear.
6Lack of Independent Oversight
Flock's new rules rely on police departments policing their own usage, despite past abuses. The ACLU recommends an independent evaluator, but Flock has yet to take action on this front.
7System Reliability
Recent research shows Flock cameras have error rates ranging from 30% to 70%. This raises serious questions about the reliability of the surveillance technology, despite its widespread use.
8Public Backlash and Future
Protests and contract cancellations against Flock cameras are increasing. Some cities are blocking cameras by wrapping them in trash bags. The new rules' failure to restore public trust may force Flock to reconsider its policies in the future.
Original article: CNET — Flock Güvenlik Kameralarında Yeni Kurallar ve Açıklar