Los Angeles police pause Flock’s surveillance of everyday life
The panopticon is apparently month-to-month.
Los Angeles police are ending their three-year agreement with Flock Safety after privacy and civil liberties concerns, which is what happens when “neighborhood safety camera” starts sounding a lot like “citywide photographic dragnet.”
KABC reports that LAPD will allow its agreement with Flock Safety to expire Saturday, ending a three-year relationship with the company. LAPD Chief Information Officer Dean Gialamas said the contract is not being renewed because of “serious concerns around civil liberties and civil rights issues,” especially privacy, data collection, security, and sharing.
The funny part is that LAPD’s pause sounds less like a breakup than a relationship status update. The cameras are still out there. Flock still wants the contract. LAPD still likes catching suspects. Everyone is just taking a little privacy language vacation before deciding whether the “license plate reader” can come home.
The panopticon is apparently month-to-month.
If the cameras are still out there and operating, whom will Flock be feeding the data to now?
Any competitive organizations available? I would look to see what they are up to.