License-plate surveillance giant Flock tightens rules as cities, lawmakers push back amid police abuse

Flock Safety announced it will recommend police retain license plate data for seven days instead of thirty, add tools to detect abusive searches, require case codes for searches, and auto-suspend users flagged for unusual activity. The changes follow more than 50 communities canceling or suspending Flock contracts since the start of 2026 and a Washington Post report finding nearly 50 officers accused of misusing the cameras to track partners, exes, or relatives.

In Savannah, Georgia, six employees were fired after an internal probe — enabled by Flock's own audit tool — found searches on personal acquaintances and unauthorized data sharing with an outside agency; the cases went to state investigators. Flock's CEO framed the overhaul as building 'a better version of America,' while the ACLU called the shorter retention period a possible step forward but noted new 'Evidence Mode' preservation could keep location data available well beyond seven days.

Flock says its network now spans more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states serving thousands of agencies; the new safeguards, notably, remain optional for existing customers, who can simply keep their old retention settings.

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