Flock Safety Faces Congressional Scrutiny Over AI Surveillance Network

Congressional Hearing on AI Surveillance

A Senate Judiciary crime and counterterrorism subcommittee held a hearing to address concerns surrounding Flock Safety's AI surveillance network. Subcommittee chair Josh Hawley (R-MO) highlighted Flock as a prominent player in the industry, noting widespread unease among lawmakers.

The CEOs of Flock, Axon, Motorola Solutions, and Verkada were invited to testify, but declined. Instead, the hearing featured cybersecurity and legal experts, a sheriff who ended a contract with Flock, and a citizen who experienced misidentification by Flock cameras.

Lawmaker Concerns Over Data Collection

Lawmakers from both political parties expressed significant concern regarding automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and their collection of location data from individuals not accused of crimes. A key issue raised was the storage duration of this data, which can be up to a month.

The federal hearing marks an escalation in the conversation around Flock's technology, moving from local police department and city council discussions to a Congressional level. This indicates growing national attention on the privacy implications of such surveillance systems.

Data Security and Misidentification Incidents

Concerns were also raised about the security of Flock's extensive image database. Testimonies included an account from a Florida woman who was wrongly jailed for 13 days after her car was incorrectly linked to a crime scene by Flock cameras.

Verkada, another company invited to the hearing, stated that its customers cannot search a national network and only access data within their own systems, in response to similar privacy concerns.