Hawley opens probe into Flock Safety's camera data access

Sen.

Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) launched an investigation Wednesday into Flock Safety’s nationwide license-plate camera network, demanding details on who can access Americans’ vehicle data after what he called the "abuse and misuse of personal data." Hawley Targets Scope Of Flock Network Hawley told CEO Garrett Langley that Flock has built an "unprecedented national surveillance network" of more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states that conducts roughly 20 billion vehicle scans each month. "The overwhelming majority of Americans captured in those records did nothing wrong," Hawley wrote.

The probe follows a growing bipartisan backlash.

Sen.

Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) recently called Flock’s system " AI mass surveillance," while Rep.

Greg Steube (R-Fla.) urged police to " GET A WARRANT " before using the technology.

Cities Pull Back As Privacy Concerns Grow St.

Charles County, Missouri, stopped using Flock after the company’s new audit tool identified a civilian police employee who admitted using the system for a personal, non-law-enforcement purpose.

Tempe and Cave Creek, Arizona, also moved Wednesday to end their Flock contracts amid mounting privacy concerns.

Read Also: Alabama AG Launches Probe Into OpenAI Over ‘Rogue AI’ Hack The Associated Press reported last week that thousands of agencies can search and share Flock data across jurisdictions and that more than 50 agencies or communities had canceled, suspended or rejected contracts or deactivated cameras this year.

Flock responded Aug.

13 with new safeguards.

The company said it will cut its recommended default retention period from 30 days to seven, require Audit Assistance for law-enforcement customers, introduce automatic lockouts for abnormal activity and require case codes for searches by year-end.

Flock says customers own their data and decide who can access or share it.

Hawley Presses Flock For Privacy Answers The Justice Department has recognized both sides of the technology.

A 2024 report said license-plate readers can help catch violent offenders and find abducted children, but warned that systems can misread plates, misidentify stolen vehicles and create privacy risks without strong safeguards.

Hawley cited false alerts and alleged personal searches as evidence that existing protections fall short. "Errors and false positives add insult to injury," he wrote.

He ordered Flock to provide documents by Sept.

8, adding, "Americans do not surrender their privacy rights when they drive to work, drop their kids off at school or go to church." Read Also: Bernie Sanders Warns AI Billionaires Could ‘Obliterate’ Jobs and ‘Destroy the Environment,’ Calls for Data Center Moratorium Photo courtesy: commercepros / Shutterstock.com