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Flock Safety’s surveillance network has been expanding for years. In recent months, we’ve reported on growing concerns around how US law enforcement is using its cameras, as allegations of misuse pile up. Here’s a deep dive into how we got here.

WIRED
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Flock boasted that its cameras caused a 50 percent drop in reported crimes like robbery and nonresidential burglary. But experts, and the police themselves, could not confirm a direct causal link between the surveillance technology and declining crime rates. www.wired.com/story/flock-...

wired.comCan License Plate Readers Really Reduce Crime?Flock Safety boasts that its cameras caused a dramatic drop in crime in one Georgia county, but experts say it's not so simple.

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Flash forward to last year, when an accidental leak revealed Flock was training its AI surveillance system using overseas gig workers from Upwork. By that time, Flock cameras were present in thousands of communities across the country. www.wired.com/story/flock-...

wired.comFlock Uses Overseas Gig Workers to Build Its Surveillance AIAn accidental leak revealed that Flock, which has cameras in thousands of US communities, is using workers in the Philippines to review and classify footage.
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In May this year, public concern over Flock surveillance had grown enough that a bipartisan amendment was put forward to immediately end state and local ALPR programs. It was eventually killed, partly due to Flock’s expanding lobbying operations. www.wired.com/story/a-bipa...

wired.comA Bipartisan Amendment Would End Police License Plate Tracking NationwideOne line tucked into a federal highway bill would strip funds from cities and states unless they kill their automated plate tracking programs—effectively banning the tech for all but toll collection.
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On August 6, we reported that at least four police departments which Flock had highlighted on its YouTube channel had faced misuse allegations. Flock said that incidents of misuse were addressed, and they shouldn’t discount the tech's usefulness. www.wired.com/story/flock-...

wired.comFlock Highlighted Police Departments Using Its Tech. Now 4 Face Allegations of MisuseFlock posted videos on its YouTube channel highlighting at least four police departments whose officers have faced allegations of misusing the company’s tech.