Technology
Competitors court police departments as Flock Safety faces surveillance backlash
Rival companies are seeking to replace Flock's license plate readers across dozens of cities, though privacy advocates say alternatives present the same systemic risks.
The short version
- Flock Safety is confronting contract cancellations and community protests in about 100 cities over automated license plate reader privacy and data-sharing concerns.
- Rivals such as Axon, Motorola Solutions, and Verkada are stepping in to secure law enforcement contracts from municipalities abandoning Flock.
- Flock recently reduced data retention timelines and added search safeguards, though civil liberties organizations described the measures as insufficient.
- Privacy experts note that shifting between surveillance vendors fails to eliminate broader civil liberties risks inherent in interconnected police data systems.
Key facts
- Roughly 100 cities and communities have rejected proposals, deactivated hardware, or terminated existing contracts with Flock Safety, according to data from DeFlock.[NPR]
- Axon CEO Rick Smith reported to investors that several law enforcement agencies are transitioning to Axon's license plate readers from existing systems.[NPR]
- Flock CEO Garrett Langley stated the firm projects gaining seven times more new customers in 2026 than the total number of departing clients.[NPR]
- Privacy advocates point out that competing law enforcement technology vendors, including Axon, maintain federal contracts and present similar data-collection concerns.[NPR]
What remains uncertain
- Axon has not disclosed the specific monetary value or volume of business captured directly from cancelled Flock contracts.[NPR]