Flock Faces Tough Times in Washington

Flock is under scrutiny in Washington, even though its CEO opted not to appear before senators at a hearing regarding its “AI Surveillance Network” on Wednesday.

“There are many players in this industry, but one name stands out, and that’s Flock,” said Josh Hawley, chair of the Senate Judiciary crime and counterterrorism subcommittee. “If you haven’t heard of Flock, I can assure you, Flock has probably heard of you.”

While the CEOs of Flock and other companies like Axon, Motorola Solutions, and Verkada chose not to testify, the hearing room was packed, with a standby line stretching down the hall. Instead of the CEOs, the session featured insights from cybersecurity and legal experts, a sheriff whose department ended its contract with Flock after receiving unsatisfactory answers about its AI usage, and a Florida woman who recounted spending 13 days in jail due to her car being misidentified by Flock cameras as linked to a crime.

A spokesperson for Verkada stated that the company provided information to assist the subcommittee, despite its CEO’s absence. “As we’ve explained, none of our customers can search a national Verkada network – because it doesn’t exist. They can only access data within their own systems,” the spokesperson said. Representatives from the other companies did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

This federal hearing highlights the escalating concerns surrounding Flock, evolving from issues within police departments to heated city council meetings and now to a Congressional hearing. With midterm elections approaching, lawmakers from both parties seemed united in their apprehension about automated license plate readers (ALPRs) that collect location data on individuals who haven’t been accused of any crimes, often retaining that information for up to a month.

Lawmakers raised questions about the security of Flock’s extensive image database, which cybersecurity engineer Benn Jordan claimed he accessed with minimal effort, a situation Flock has stated it has since rectified. Jordan noted that while he has seen improvements in Flock’s security over the past year, broader industry issues remain. They also expressed concerns about the ease with which officers can access Flock data, contrasting it with traditional license plate readers that don’t compile the same detailed profiles on vehicles.

Democrats like Senators Alex Padilla and Dick Durbin inquired about how federal immigration authorities could be prevented from accessing Flock data and potential loopholes that might allow such access through local officers. Senator Cory Booker raised concerns about whether officers in states with restrictive abortion laws could track individuals seeking reproductive care across state lines. On the Republican side, Hawley highlighted similar worries for gun owners, stating, “For those of us who support the Second Amendment, we’ve long feared national databases. Cameras could easily be placed near gun shows or stores, just as they could be near pregnancy care centers, enabling the same issues Senator Booker mentioned.”

However, it’s still early in the legislative process regarding Flock and other ALPRs. After the hearing, Hawley mentioned that he had only recently learned about the company and that “we’re all just getting up to speed on this.” He expressed a desire to hear directly from the CEOs, but subpoenaing them would require a full committee vote, which he hadn’t yet discussed with the Judiciary Committee Chair. There’s also the question of whether President Trump, who has expressed support for the cameras, would back legislation to regulate them. Hawley admitted he hadn’t broached that topic yet.

“In Missouri, we’ve been using license plate readers for a long time, but that’s quite different from the technology we’re discussing today,” Hawley told reporters. “I think that’s something I’ve only recently come to appreciate, and I bet most people are just starting to understand. Citizens are aware when they’re being tracked. They don’t want to be monitored and treated like criminals. Law-abiding citizens should not be treated as such.”