Flock Safety: Difference between revisions
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===Data Sharing with Federal Immigration Authorities (Ongoing)=== | ===Data Sharing with Federal Immigration Authorities (Ongoing)=== | ||
Federal immigration enforcement agencies systematically accessed Flock's license plate data through multiple methods despite state laws prohibiting such sharing.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Koebler | first1=Jason | last2=Cox | first2=Joseph | title=ICE Taps into Nationwide AI-Enabled Camera Network, Data Shows | website=404 Media | date=2025-05-27 | url=https://www.404media.co/ice-taps-into-nationwide-ai-enabled-camera-network-data-shows/ | accessdate=2025-10-30}}</ref> This included direct "front door" access where at least eight Washington law enforcement agencies enabled 1:1 data sharing with U.S. Border Patrol,<ref | Federal immigration enforcement agencies systematically accessed Flock's license plate data through multiple methods despite state laws prohibiting such sharing.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Koebler | first1=Jason | last2=Cox | first2=Joseph | title=ICE Taps into Nationwide AI-Enabled Camera Network, Data Shows | website=404 Media | date=2025-05-27 | url=https://www.404media.co/ice-taps-into-nationwide-ai-enabled-camera-network-data-shows/ | accessdate=2025-10-30}}</ref> This included direct "front door" access where at least eight Washington law enforcement agencies enabled 1:1 data sharing with U.S. Border Patrol,<ref name=":0" /> "back door" access where Border Patrol searched data from at least ten Washington police departments without explicit authorization,<ref name=":0" /> and "side door" searches where local officers conducted searches on behalf of ICE, visible only when officers typed reasons like "ICE" into search fields.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Koebler | first1=Jason | title=CBP Had Access to More than 80,000 Flock AI Cameras Nationwide | website=404 Media | date=2025-08-25 | url=https://www.404media.co/cbp-had-access-to-more-than-80-000-flock-ai-cameras-nationwide/ | accessdate=2025-10-30}}</ref> Internal Flock data revealed CBP had access to more than 80,000 cameras nationwide, with searches conducted in multiple states in potential violation of state sanctuary laws.<ref>{{cite web | title=License plate camera company halts cooperation with federal agencies among investigation concerns | website=ABC7 Chicago | date=2025-08-26 | url=https://abc7.com/post/flock-safety-license-plate-camera-company-halts-cooperation-federal-agencies-among-investigation-concerns-including-il/17653876/ | accessdate=2025-10-30}}</ref> | ||
===Investigation of Abortion Seeker (May 2025)=== | ===Investigation of Abortion Seeker (May 2025)=== | ||
A Johnson County, Texas sheriff's officer conducted a nationwide surveillance operation using Flock Safety's network to track a woman who had a self-managed abortion.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Koebler | first1=Jason | last2=Cox | first2=Joseph | title=A Texas Cop Searched License Plate Cameras Nationwide for a Woman Who Got an Abortion | website=404 Media | date=2025-05-29 | url=https://www.404media.co/a-texas-cop-searched-license-plate-cameras-nationwide-for-a-woman-who-got-an-abortion/ | accessdate=2025-10-30}}</ref> The search spanned 6,809 different Flock networks and queried data from over 83,000 cameras across multiple states.<ref | A Johnson County, Texas sheriff's officer conducted a nationwide surveillance operation using Flock Safety's network to track a woman who had a self-managed abortion.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Koebler | first1=Jason | last2=Cox | first2=Joseph | title=A Texas Cop Searched License Plate Cameras Nationwide for a Woman Who Got an Abortion | website=404 Media | date=2025-05-29 | url=https://www.404media.co/a-texas-cop-searched-license-plate-cameras-nationwide-for-a-woman-who-got-an-abortion/ | accessdate=2025-10-30}}</ref> The search spanned 6,809 different Flock networks and queried data from over 83,000 cameras across multiple states.<ref name=":0" /> The officer specifically searched Flock camera data from Yakima and Prosser, Washington, accessing surveillance data from jurisdictions where abortion is legally protected to investigate someone from a restrictive state.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Koebler | first1=Jason | last2=Cox | first2=Joseph | title=Police Said They Surveilled Woman Who Had an Abortion for Her 'Safety.' Court Records Show They Considered Charging Her With a Crime | website=404 Media | date=2025-10-07 | url=https://www.404media.co/police-said-they-surveilled-woman-who-had-an-abortion-for-her-safety-court-records-show-they-considered-charging-her-with-a-crime/ | accessdate=2025-10-30}}</ref> While police initially claimed the surveillance was for the woman's "safety," internal documents revealed the case was officially logged as a "death investigation" and detectives had consulted the district attorney about charging the woman.<ref>{{cite web | title=Flock Gives Law Enforcement All Over the Country Access to Your Location | website=ACLU of Massachusetts | date=2025-10-07 | url=https://data.aclum.org/2025/10/07/flock-gives-law-enforcement-all-over-the-country-access-to-your-location/ | accessdate=2025-10-30}}</ref> The incident sparked a congressional investigation and led to multiple jurisdictions reevaluating their Flock contracts over concerns about reproductive rights surveillance.<ref>{{cite web | title=I'm Hearing About More Pushback Against Flock, Fueled by Concern Over Anti-Immigrant Uses | website=ACLU | date=2025-10-28 | url=https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/flock-pushback | accessdate=2025-10-30}}</ref> | ||
===Paused Federal Pilots and Systemic Data Sharing with Federal Agencies (August 2025)=== | ===Paused Federal Pilots and Systemic Data Sharing with Federal Agencies (August 2025)=== | ||
Flock Safety announced it was pausing all ongoing pilot programs with Department of Homeland Security agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Ensuring Local Compliance |url=https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/ensuring-local-compliance |website=Flock Safety}}</ref> The company stated this pause was to "ensure local compliance" and admitted its previous public statements had "inadvertently provided inaccurate information" about the level of federal access to its network.<ref name=":3" /> | Flock Safety announced it was pausing all ongoing pilot programs with Department of Homeland Security agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Ensuring Local Compliance |url=https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/ensuring-local-compliance |website=Flock Safety}}</ref> The company stated this pause was to "ensure local compliance" and admitted its previous public statements had "inadvertently provided inaccurate information" about the level of federal access to its network.<ref name=":3" /> | ||
This decision followed investigations revealing systematic data sharing with federal immigration authorities that potentially violated state laws in Washington, Illinois, and other states with sanctuary protections.<ref name=" | This decision followed investigations revealing systematic data sharing with federal immigration authorities that potentially violated state laws in Washington, Illinois, and other states with sanctuary protections.<ref name=":0" /> A University of Washington Center for Human Rights report documented three methods of federal access: | ||
*'''Front Door Access''': At least eight Washington law enforcement agencies, including police departments in Yakima and Wenatchee, enabled direct data sharing with U.S. Border Patrol.<ref name=" | *'''Front Door Access''': At least eight Washington law enforcement agencies, including police departments in Yakima and Wenatchee, enabled direct data sharing with U.S. Border Patrol.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="wenatchee">{{cite web | title=Flock Safety setting allowed U.S. Border Patrol access to Wenatchee Valley license plate data without police knowledge | website=The Wenatchee World | date=2025-10-29 | url=https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/local/flock-safety-setting-allowed-u-s-border-patrol-access-to-wenatchee-valley-license-plate-data/article_8335941e-161c-594d-bc51-a56e0bd7251b.html | accessdate=2025-10-29}}</ref> | ||
*'''Back Door Access''': A default "National Lookup" setting allowed Border Patrol to access data from at least ten Washington agencies without explicit authorization. Police chiefs in Wenatchee and East Wenatchee stated they were unaware of this setting and disabled it upon discovery.<ref name=" | *'''Back Door Access''': A default "National Lookup" setting allowed Border Patrol to access data from at least ten Washington agencies without explicit authorization. Police chiefs in Wenatchee and East Wenatchee stated they were unaware of this setting and disabled it upon discovery.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="wenatchee" /> | ||
*'''Side Door Searches''': Law enforcement officers conducted searches on behalf of ICE, visible only when officers typed reasons like "ICE" or "illegal immigration" into search fields.<ref name=" | *'''Side Door Searches''': Law enforcement officers conducted searches on behalf of ICE, visible only when officers typed reasons like "ICE" or "illegal immigration" into search fields.<ref name=":0" /> A public interest law firm noted Flock's pause of direct federal access does little to prevent this workaround, as "federal law enforcement cannot directly access this trove of information, they can just ask other Flock customers to run searches or share log-in information."<ref name="ij">{{cite web | title=Public Interest Law Firm Responds to Flock Safety Pausing Federal Access to License Plate Reader Cameras | website=Institute for Justice | date=2025-08-26 | url=https://ij.org/press-release/public-interest-law-firm-responds-to-flock-safety-pausing-federal-access-to-license-plate-reader-cameras/ | accessdate=2025-10-29}}</ref> | ||
===Consumer Complaints about Business Practices=== | ===Consumer Complaints about Business Practices=== | ||