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Flock Safety to shorten license-plate reader data retention after abuse reports

techAug 14, 202615243

Flock Safety announced Thursday it will make platform changes including shortening its default automated license plate reader data retention from 30 days to seven and making several optional safeguards mandatory by Jan. 1. All law enforcement customers must implement an audit tool that flags abnormal search behavior and locks users out pending internal review. Officers will be required to enter a records-management-system code tying each search to a specific case before running it, with emergency overrides automatically flagged for review. Flock said customers can limit which outside agencies may search their data by offense type, allowing communities to block searches related to immigration enforcement, and that data tied to a case number can be preserved longer as evidence. Civil liberties groups reacted skeptically: the American Civil Liberties Union called the shorter retention window a step in the right direction but criticized other changes as inadequate, while the Institute for Justice called the measures window dressing. The announcement follows reports of documented misuse by some officers and recent probes, including internal investigations announced by four metro Phoenix police departments into alleged improper use.

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