Flock built a license-plate dragnet. Cities are walking away

Flock Safety sells automated license-plate readers to police departments, and for a few years it sold a lot of them. The cameras photograph every passing car, log the plate and make the history searchable. Now the company is shrinking.

Reuters reported that Flock plans to cut roughly 270 of its roughly 1,500 workers, about 18%, with departures expected at the end of October. Flock objects to the word layoff. Spokesperson Paris Lewbel called it a voluntary program and said it reflects a focus on building a sustainable business. The buyout window opened September 18. People familiar with the matter told WIRED that layoffs were the likely alternative.

Why the customers are leaving

More than 90 cities have canceled Flock contracts. Tempe and Cave Creek in Arizona dropped the company in the same week. Henrico County, Virginia, ended its deal over data protection concerns, and Scottsdale voted to look at other vendors. In September, Florida banned automated plate readers on state highways, citing privacy.

The abuse record hasn't helped. Dozens of police officers have been arrested, fired or pushed to resign for misusing their access to Flock's network. There are 23 federal lawsuits challenging the camera network, and Sen. Josh Hawley has introduced a bill called the Stop Flock Abuse Act. Opposition to Flock is one of the rare positions in American politics with members from both parties.

Mass surveillance usually gets sold one camera at a time, as a public safety purchase, at a city council meeting nobody attends. What's happening to Flock is what it looks like when people start attending the meetings.

Sources: TechCrunch, Mother Jones, ABC News.