Flock Safety Updates ALPR Policies Amid Public Scrutiny
Surveillance technology company Flock Safety announced platform changes, including mandatory audit tools, a reduced data retention period to seven days, and required case-specific searches, following public backlash and documented abuses of its automated license plate readers by law enforcement. Critics…
Pittsburgh, PA, August 13, 2026 —
Flock Safety, a company providing automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology, has announced significant changes to its platform following public backlash and reports of misuse by law enforcement agencies. The updates include the implementation of mandatory audit tools, a reduction in data retention periods to seven days, and the requirement for case-specific searches.
These policy shifts come in response to documented instances where law enforcement has allegedly abused Flock Safety’s ALPR systems. While the company has introduced these new measures, critics maintain that the changes may not be sufficient to prevent future misuse of the surveillance technology.
The new platform modifications are designed to increase oversight and limit the scope of data access. Mandatory audit tools are intended to provide a clearer record of who is accessing the ALPR data and for what purpose. The reduction of the data retention period from an unspecified prior length to a strict seven days aims to limit the amount of historical data available for potential misuse.
Furthermore, Flock Safety is now requiring that any searches conducted on the platform must be case-specific. This measure is intended to prevent broad, non-specific data sweeps and ensure that data access is tied to active investigations.
Despite these announced changes, civil liberties advocates and privacy experts have expressed skepticism. According to reports, critics argue that the new policies do not go far enough to address the fundamental concerns surrounding the widespread use of ALPR technology and its potential for unwarranted surveillance.
The specific details regarding the previous data retention periods and the exact nature of the documented abuses were not provided. The company’s announcement did not include information on when these new policies will take full effect or if there are any exceptions to the seven-day data retention rule.
Story summarized from the original created by Associated Press on www.wpxi.com, see more information here.
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