Overview
- Flock announced this week that it will cut default data retention from 30 days to seven days, add an "evidence mode" that preserves hits for investigations, require officers to enter case codes before searches, and force all law‑enforcement customers to use new audit tools.
- Investigations and local audits have documented dozens of alleged officer misuses tied to Flock searches, including about 46 cases cited in national reporting where officers reportedly ran plates for personal reasons or tracked partners.
- Cities and counties have reacted by pausing, disabling or removing cameras and by covering or vandalizing devices, with more than 50 jurisdictions reported to have canceled or suspended Flock contracts.
- Civil‑liberties groups say the company changes are helpful but insufficient, arguing that independent judicial oversight or warrants are needed because company rules and officer discretion still govern who gets searched.
- Public projects like HaveIBeenFlocked and DeFlock chapters are compiling audit logs from FOIA requests to expose searches and drive local oversight, and ongoing internal and criminal investigations of alleged misuse are continuing.