There has been a lot of media coverage of the Flock camera system that is being used in Georgia and other parts of the country. While Flock refers to the Atlanta-based Flock Safety company that makes them, they are actually a form of automated license plate readers (ALPRs).
They do more than read license plates, however. They capture images of the color, make and model of vehicles that pass by them and put this information in a searchable database that can be used in criminal investigations as well as for other purposes. According to the manufacturer, it does not use facial recognition technology to identify anyone in these vehicles.
Concerns about misuse of the data
There have still been serious concerns about misuse of the data collected by the technology. In addition to law enforcement agencies, government, neighborhood and other private organizations can purchase a system.
Multiple law enforcement officers have faced charges for using the collected data for personal purposes. Civil liberties and privacy advocates have raised concerns about the potential uses of this technology, which most people don’t notice because they devices are typically placed above eye level on poles and other structures.
In response, the company has announced that it’s putting some auditing controls in place to help protect against such misuse and reducing the data retention timeframe from 30 to just 7 days. However, there can still be exceptions.
If you have been charged with a crime, you have the right to know what evidence is being used against you and if that evidence was collected and handled appropriately and in compliance with the law. That includes surveillance photos, videos and other data collected by Flock and other systems. This is just one reason why having experienced legal guidance may prove to be critical when it comes to protecting your rights.