Police Are Hiding Their Use of Flock Surveillance Cameras
A usage policy for Flock automated license plate reader cameras in Wapello County, Iowa, instructs officers not to mention the cameras to drivers, not to name them in reports, and to keep their use secret even when the technology leads to an arrest.
Why this matters: If police use a surveillance system to stop or arrest you, you have a basic interest in knowing what evidence was used against you. Hiding that makes it nearly impossible to challenge the accuracy of the data or the legality of how it was gathered. Flock cameras read license plates across entire jurisdictions, building a picture of where people go. Policies like this one are not about protecting an investigation. They are about protecting the surveillance program itself from public scrutiny. That is a different thing, and it should not be standard practice.
Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · Compliance · Cybersecurity · General readers · Policy
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