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What Flock cameras record
Flock describes its ALPR system as collecting images of license plates, vehicle characteristics, timestamps, and camera-location identifiers. Its Evidence Policy says data is temporarily held on the camera, uploaded to cloud storage, and removed from the local camera after upload. These are the company’s descriptions of how its system operates, not the result of an independent technical test. Flock Evidence Policy
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That means the system is not limited to taking a picture when police already know which vehicle they want to find. It records passing vehicles, and accumulated, searchable observations can show where a vehicle appeared over time. The ACLU argues that networked access can expand surveillance beyond the area covered by an individual camera and reveal sensitive patterns of movement. ACLU: You Are Being Tracked
How long Flock says it keeps ALPR data
Flock’s published Evidence Policy states that ALPR data is hard-deleted from cloud storage after seven days by default. It says longer retention, up to one year, may be offered if an elected official and/or governing body approves it, unless a longer period is required by law. These are the policy’s stated terms; a town’s actual retention period should be confirmed with the agency and its current contract. Flock Evidence Policy
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Who can search or share a town’s data?
Flock says access is limited to people who need it for work, usage is logged, and sharing is controlled locally. Its public materials describe agency controls and configurable access. Flock Data Privacy & Protection Flock Trust Center Flock Privacy & Ethics
However, the ACLU has raised concerns that default contract language may permit company sharing for investigative purposes even when an agency chooses to limit access to its own officers. That concern does not establish how any particular town is configured, but it is a reason to inspect the executed contract and any addenda rather than relying only on a general description of local control. ACLU reporting on ALPR sharing
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Ask the agency to explain whether outside agencies—including federal agencies—can search local detections, whether searches are limited by purpose or offense type, how exceptions are handled, and what deletion settings apply. A statement that sharing is a local choice does not by itself answer those configuration questions.
What oversight exists—and what it does not prove
Flock describes logging and agency review as safeguards. But the ACLU says the effectiveness of the company’s announced audit assistance tool had not been independently evaluated in its analysis. That is a specific limitation on what can be concluded about that tool; it does not establish that no oversight exists in every deployment. Ask who reviews access logs, how often reviews happen, and how alleged misuse is investigated. ACLU reporting on ALPR safeguards
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What residents can ask local officials
Start with the public body that owns or administers the cameras—often a police department or local government—and find out who approved the deployment. Request the records that describe what the system actually permits, including:
- The executed contract, amendments, and any data-sharing agreements.
- The local ALPR or privacy policy, including retention and deletion settings.
- Camera locations and the agency’s stated purposes for using the system.
- Which local and outside users can access or query data, and whether searches can be restricted by purpose or offense.
- Available access logs, audit records, and the process for investigating misuse.
Residents can also ask elected officials to set and publish limits on retention, sharing, eligible investigations, access, and oversight. Public-records procedures, what records must be released, and any legal limits on retention vary by jurisdiction; check the rules where you live. The ACLU’s community guidance discusses public-records requests and local efforts to govern or challenge ALPR deployments. ACLU guidance on ALPR oversight
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