Flock Safety announced Thursday that it will implement several new safeguards and guardrails for its technology. The surveillance company, which tracks vehicle movements through a network of cameras across the United States, is introducing these measures to ensure stricter oversight of its products.
The company's network conducts approximately 20 billion license plate scans every month. Until now, Flock Safety had largely left the decision to enable safety measures up to its customers, and many of those organizations did not turn them on.
These changes follow backlash and reports of misuse by law enforcement. Investigations revealed that dozens of officers used the cameras to spy on romantic interests and exes. Additionally, reports indicated the system was used to target immigrants or people seeking abortions out-of-state, leading to allegations that the technology enables mass surveillance.