Flock Safety, the license-plate-reader company, is cutting default data retention from 30 to seven days and making search audits and case codes mandatory for law enforcement customers by January 1, following Washington Post reporting of nearly 50 cases of officers misusing the technology to track partners or family members. CEO Garrett Langley announced the changes across six areas: privacy, accountability, data ownership, security, accuracy and transparency. New features include Evidence Mode for preserving investigation data, Audit Assistance flagging abnormal searches, Proactive Lockout suspending misuse, and per-agency filtering of what outside searches are allowed (including blocking immigration-related searches). A third-party security review by Bishop Fox is due in September, and MFA is now mandatory. Critics including the ACLU, the Institute for Justice, and the Center for Democracy and Technology called the measures inadequate window dressing that leaves search decisions with police rather than judges. Flock now runs over 120,000 cameras across 49 states with a $500m revenue run rate and an $8.3bn valuation, while more than 50 jurisdictions have cancelled or suspended contracts since January.
Table of contents
What Flock announcedThe accountability toolsSecurity, accuracy and transparencyWhat prompted itThe immigration questionWhat critics sayThe business behind the announcementHow Britain handles the same dataWhat happens nextQuestions this post answers
How long does Flock Safety now retain license plate reader data by default?
Flock Safety cut its default data retention period from 30 days to seven days. The change becomes mandatory for law enforcement customers on January 1. A new Evidence Mode feature lets detectives preserve specific data for active investigations and is free for customers who adopt the seven-day window. Track how surveillance vendors adjust data policies under public pressure by following security news on daily.dev.
What accountability features is Flock Safety making mandatory for police departments?
Flock Safety is requiring Audit Assistance, which flags abnormal search activity for administrator review, and case codes, which force officers to attach a records management code before running a search, with emergency bypasses flagged separately. A related Proactive Lockout feature automatically suspends access when behavior meets abnormal criteria. Both become compulsory for law enforcement customers by the end of the year. Developers building audit and access-control systems can follow similar accountability patterns on daily.dev.
Why did Flock Safety change its data retention and audit policies?
The Washington Post documented nearly 50 instances of officers charged or accused of unauthorized use of Flock's license plate reader system, mostly involving tracking current or former partners or family members. Savannah Police Department fired six employees after Flock's own audit function uncovered misuse. More than 50 agencies have canceled or suspended contracts since January in response to the backlash. daily.dev readers weighing vendor trust and data governance can follow how this surveillance case unfolds.