The Atlanta-based company, probably best known for its license plate reading technology, or LPR, has a new product called Nova.
According to Flock, Nova “unifies LPR, video, RMS & more in one platform — so agencies can find answers faster and solve more cases.”
RMS refers to record management system, and the stated goal of Nova reflects larger trends in the public safety space of providing more data via one source or platform to law enforcement officers and medical personnel responding to emergencies.
But according to a recent report from 404 Media, Nova has raised concerns among Flock employees because some of the data that can be accessed via the platform reportedly comes from breaches, not just public records or other generally above-board commercially available information. The idea is to “supplement” the data gained from license plate recognition by personal information collected from other sources, according to the report.
The outlet reported that leaks from a company meeting indicated that some of the data came from a hacked parking meter app.
Data comes from a wide variety of sources when it comes to government technology, retail commerce, health care and other parts of the economy.
Prohibitions exist on the sale of the most sensitive personal data and data stolen by hackers, but regulations can remain loose, and the world of data brokers can resemble the Wild West to some observers.
That is one reason why lawmakers and agencies try to advance bills that would further regulate the selling of digital data.
Flock Safety declined to comment publicly for this story, though a spokesperson denied any wrongdoing by the company.
Flock recently announced a $7.5 billion valuation and its purchase of a drone company, with those flying machines offering another rapid-response tool, along with more detection, for police departments. Both moves underscore how policing continues to embrace mobile, digital and AI technologies, resulting in more business for suppliers.
The fresh criticism of Flock comes as concerns persist not only about its LPR offering — with members of the public sometimes objecting to what they view as a potential invasion of privacy — but as other worries emerge over cutting-edge police technology.
According to Matthew Guariglia, senior policy analyst for the civil liberties group Electronic Frontier Foundation, this new controversy could foreshadow a dim future when it comes to law enforcement.
“We’ve often warned that data from automated license plate readers — already a digital dragnet that captures information about millions of people who’ve committed no crimes — could be combined with other data streams to further invade people’s privacy,” he told Government Technology via email. “If the reports about Flock Nova are true, this is precisely the kind of dystopian panopticon we’ve warned about.”
He says he’s concerned about potential constitutional violations — probable cause, for instance — that could arise from such technology.
“An officer having someone's entire online persona one click away after a license plate reader scans their plate is an open invitation for police retribution and reprisals based on a person’s First Amendment-protected expression and affiliations,” Guariglia said.
