Flock Says Its New Tool Will Help Identify Police Abuse, But Hasn’t Explained How It Works

Surveillance technology company Flock Safety announced on Thursday a series of changes aimed at curbing police misuse of its vast network of automated license-plate readers. Central to the update is a feature called Audit Assistance, which the company says will help identify abnormal search activity that could indicate abuse. However, Flock has not fully explained how the tool works.The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny following reports that dozens of officers have allegedly used Flock’s system to stalk romantic partners, track individuals for personal reasons, or conduct unauthorized searches. A recent Washington Post investigation found at least 50 officers accused, charged, or convicted of misusing the technology.What Flock Is ChangingFlock is requiring all law enforcement customers to enable Audit Assistance by the end of 2026. Previously optional, the feature had been adopted by more than one-third of customers. When it detects “abnormal activity,” it flags the searches for administrator review and can automatically lock out the user until the activity is examined.The company is also making case codes mandatory for most searches. Officers will need to enter a specific case number and offense type when querying the system. Emergency overrides will be allowed but automatically flagged for review. Additionally, Flock is reducing the default data retention period from 30 days to seven days, with an “Evidence Mode” option for longer retention tied to specific cases.Flock CEO Garrett Langley has acknowledged that the company should have implemented stronger safeguards sooner, stating that the changes reflect a recognition of greater responsibility for how the technology is used.Limited Transparency on How Audit Assistance WorksDespite positioning Audit Assistance as a key accountability tool, Flock has offered only high-level descriptions of its operation. The company says it “detects abnormal activity and flags it for Administrator review” and surfaces “atypical search patterns early.”Examples provided by company representatives include a user repeatedly searching the same license plate for more than 30 days, searching the same plate with multiple different case codes, or unusual patterns such as late-night search clusters. One police official described it as an algorithm that can notify departments of potential bias.Flock has told reporters that Audit Assistance is not based on machine learning or AI. Instead, it describes the feature as “a data tool that flags atypical search patterns for further review.” A flag does not automatically confirm abuse; it only indicates that further investigation is warranted.The company has declined to share detailed criteria for what constitutes abnormal behavior, arguing that revealing the specifics could help bad actors avoid detection. Questions remain about the exact patterns it is designed to surface, the data it relies on, and how thresholds are set.Context of the ChangesFlock operates one of the largest networks of automated license-plate readers in the United States, with cameras capturing vehicle plates, colors, and other characteristics and feeding the data into a searchable database used by thousands of law enforcement agencies. The company says its system helps investigate roughly one million crimes per year.Critics, including civil liberties groups, have long raised concerns about the potential for misuse, privacy implications, and limited oversight. Documented cases of officers using the system for personal tracking have intensified calls for stronger controls. Some cities have already ended their contracts with Flock amid public backlash.Flock maintains that the vast majority of users follow proper procedures and that audit tools help surface the minority who do not. The company has pointed to cases in which its logs or the new feature contributed to the identification of misuse.Questions That RemainWhile the move to make Audit Assistance mandatory and require case codes represents a shift toward more proactive safeguards, the lack of detailed public explanation about how the detection works has drawn scrutiny. Privacy advocates and technology reporters have noted that without clearer insight into the rules, thresholds, and effectiveness of the tool, it is difficult to fully evaluate its ability to prevent or catch abuse.Flock has said the feature has already led to increased identification of potential misuse among agencies that enabled it early. As it becomes mandatory, the company expects more cases to surface.Looking AheadThe changes take effect gradually, with full mandatory adoption of Audit Assistance required by year-end. Departments will retain some flexibility on data retention and sharing policies. Whether the new tools significantly reduce misuse will depend on how consistently administrators act on the flags and how effectively the system distinguishes legitimate investigative work from improper activity.