Los Angeles is letting its three-year partnership with Flock Safety expire amid ongoing concerns around privacy, data ownership, and the security company’s sharing practices. This move reflects a broader trend across multiple American cities distancing themselves from the controversial surveillance firm.
- LA ends Flock Safety contract after three years
- Privacy and data sharing concerns cited by LAPD
- Several US cities cancel or restrict Flock Safety use
What happened
The city of Los Angeles has decided not to renew its contract with Flock Safety, ending the use of 138 mounted license plate reader cameras operated by the company. This follows nearly three years of deployment where these cameras were used to track vehicles and aid investigations by automatically scanning license plates.
The LAPD disclosed that the decision was influenced by uncertainties regarding the data collected by Flock cameras—specifically who owns this data and how it might be used after collection. Additionally, concerns over whether information was shared with federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, contributed to the city council’s move to suspend new contracts with Flock earlier in the year.
Why it matters
The end of the partnership highlights increasing wariness around surveillance technologies deployed by law enforcement and the opaque nature of data governance tied to these systems. Communities and officials are questioning the balance between public safety benefits and the risks posed to privacy rights and data security.
Los Angeles is not alone in this reassessment. Numerous other cities nationwide—including Mountain View, Oakland, Knoxville, and Cambridge—have either canceled contracts or actively resisted renewed agreements with Flock Safety. Incidents such as unauthorized reinstallation of cameras and alleged data sharing violations have amplified distrust in the company.
What to watch next
Attention will be on how Los Angeles and other municipalities proceed with video surveillance and license plate reader technology, including which vendors or solutions they choose moving forward. Monitoring the development of clearer regulations and privacy protections concerning collected surveillance data will be crucial.
Flock Safety has signaled willingness to continue dialogue with cities like LA to address privacy concerns and limit data access. However, competing firms such as Axon, Genetec, and Motorola Solutions remain active in the market, potentially shaping the future landscape of automatic license plate reading technology across US law enforcement agencies.