NewsBite analysis · Regulation, Security · New Product, Security Vulnerability
CNET
We Spotted So Many Workarounds for Flock's New Rules on Police Camera Surveillance
In response to notable incidents of police misuse of surveillance technology, Flock Safety has introduced new policies governing the operation of its AI surveillance cameras. While these rules include measures to limit data retention and improve auditing, many provisions have built-in exceptions that could undermine their intended purpose. For instance, the new data retention policy reduces retention time from 30 days to 7 for new customers; however, existing contracts maintain the longer term. Furthermore, officers will continue to access certain data indefinitely under specific circumstances. The evolution of Flock's policies highlights ongoing debates over privacy and accountability in law enforcement.
MonitorConfidence: MediumShort term horizonData governance risk: High
Published 14 Aug 2026, 00:15 UTC4 min read
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Summary
TL;DR
- Flock reduces data retention from 30 to 7 days for new agreements.
- Existing contracts can keep their longer retention periods.
- New evidence mode allows indefinite data retention for active investigations.
- Officers must now enter case codes for lawful searches.
- Audit assistance will flag suspicious behavior by 2027.
Interesting facts
- Flock Safety operates over 120,000 automatic license plate readers.
- Recent studies show error rates in Flock systems range from 30% to 70%.
- Changes apply only to law enforcement, not private contractors.