Flock Cameras Spur Privacy Debate as Dozens of Cities Pull Plug on the Tech

More and more cities are reconsidering the use of of automated license plate readers amid rising backlash over privacy concerns.ALPR companies such as Flock Safety have received major backlash from the public—with approximately 23 city councils across the United States canceling, rejecting, or deactivating Flock’s ALPRs within their jurisdiction, the Washington Examiner reported.ALPRs aren’t your typical automated traffic enforcement camera. Instead of being triggered by a specific action, such as running a red light, ALPRs are endlessly tracking and recording everything that enters their range of vision.​An AI algorithm then registers “the make, model, color, license plate number, bumper stickers, and even scratches” of the vehicle before uploading that data into a nationwide mass surveillance system that any law enforcement agency with an ALPR contract can access, a recent American Civil Liberties Union report claimed.ALPRs have raised major data sharing, surveillance, and privacy concerns, especially since the use of the cameras has garnered little regulation or oversight on how the collected information can be used.Loading...Protesters rally against the use of Flock cameras on ...