AI startup Flock plans to combat crime across the U.S. using over 80,000 cameras and drones for real-time surveillance

Published by RawNews1st

Since its founding in 2017, Flock, which was valued at $7.5 billion in its most recent funding round, has quietly built a network of more than 80,000 cameras pointed at highways, thoroughfares and parking lots across the U.S.

Flock Safety has been working with police departments across the nation to respond to 911 calls with its drones.

Civil rights organizations against practice

Two civil liberties organizations have spoken out against Flock’s drone and license plate programs, and said they are instead being used to track people.

Illinois ends partnership with Flock

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias accused Flock of violating the state’s law against sharing information with federal authorities for immigration enforcement without a warrant.

Flock Safety CEO and co-founder Garrett Langley revealed the company’s plan in the Forbes report, arguing that it will outcompete its rivals in policing neighborhoods with its “Drone as a First Responder” program.

But an investigation from tech news site 404 Media revealed that local law enforcement have openly shared data from Flock with federal authorities, unbeknownst to the tech company. Flock has since paused “all ongoing federal pilots.”

Several additional police departments have been using the company’s DFR program since the spring.

Video demos on Flock Safety appeared to show the aircraft devices deployed to the source of a 911 call, then broadcast a video to police that has night vision, thermal and zoom capabilities.

Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union have praised Flock in 2023 for developing a system that helps flag stolen vehicles or cars associated with AMBER Alerts, stating that “there’s no reason the technology should be used to create comprehensive records of everybody’s comings and goings.”

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties nonprofit focused on technology, has long criticized Flock Safety for its cameras and software. It brought up the case of a Texas sheriff who used Flock’s automated license plate reader data to track down a woman who self-managed her abortion.

The tech company and sheriff’s office called the reporting from 404 Media misleading as the woman was considered a missing person.