It doesn’t look like they’re adding the ALPR functionality, but is it being planned as the hardware and AI improve? Or will the video work it’s way through Flock’s servers for the AI functionality before moving on to law enforcement? Flock cameras would be acceptable if there were privacy regulations, like requiring a subpoena to look up a specific license plate or vehicle description, with data being deleted after 24 hours. With assurances none of the data was allowed to be gobbled up by government or other tech entities. And I have a few posts on Flock ALPR cameras and how you can see which ones have been installed around your area as tracked with deflock.me.
By Amanda Silberling
Amazon’s surveillance camera maker Ring announced a partnership on Thursday with Flock, a maker of AI-powered surveillance cameras that share footage with law enforcement.
Now agencies that use Flock can request that Ring doorbell users share footage to help with “evidence collection and investigative work.”
Flock cameras work by scanning the license plates and other identifying information about cars they see. Flock’s government and police customers can also make natural language searches of their video footage to find people who match specific descriptions. However, AI-powered technology used by law enforcement has been proven to exacerbate racial biases.
On the same day that Ring announced this partnership, 404 Media reported that ICE, the Secret Service, and the Navy had access to Flock’s network of cameras. By partnering with Ring, Flock could potentially access footage from millions more cameras.
Ring has long had a poor track record with keeping customers’ videos safe and secure. In 2023, the FTC ordered the company to pay $5.8 million over claims that employees and contractors had unrestricted access to customers’ videos for years.