Technology
Flock tightens surveillance database search rules as tech chiefs skip Senate hearing
Lawmakers raised bipartisan privacy concerns over automated camera networks after four surveillance firm executives declined invitations to testify.
The short version
- Flock Safety announced stricter search rules requiring subscribers to submit specific reasons for querying its surveillance camera database rather than using open text fields.[The Washington Sun]
- Chief executives from Flock, Axon Enterprise, Motorola Solutions, and Verkada declined to appear at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on AI surveillance.[CNBC]
- Senators expressed bipartisan concern that camera networks spanning tens of thousands of devices across 49 states could infringe on civil liberties without proper safeguards.[CNBC · The Washington Sun]
Key facts
- Flock Safety updated its platform to require subscribers to give specific reasons for database queries instead of entering unmonitored free text.[The Washington Sun]
- The CEOs of Flock Safety, Axon Enterprise, Motorola Solutions, and Verkada declined invitations to testify before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism.[CNBC]
- Flock has deployed approximately 120,000 cameras on public roads across every U.S. state except Hawaii.[CNBC · The Washington Sun]
- Flock's chief legal officer stated in a letter to Sen. Josh Hawley that the company supports clear legislation governing the use of surveillance technology.[CNBC]
What remains uncertain
- Whether Flock Safety is actively pursuing a potential sale of the company as reported by media.[CNBC]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.