Flock Safety has announced the deployment of new privacy safeguards across its surveillance platform to prevent law enforcement officers from using its security cameras for personal or unauthorized purposes. The policy updates arrive in response to public backlash, widespread reports of potential espionage, and instances of vandalism or removal of equipment, which previously led several cities to abandon the company’s technology.
“Close up of Flock camera” by Bruxton is marked with CC0 1.0.
Company CEO Garrett Langley acknowledged the necessity of enforcing stricter privacy and security standards to prevent misuse of the network. As part of the update, Flock Safety is making its audit assistance feature mandatory for all law enforcement clients. Previously offered as an optional tool, the system monitors query patterns to detect anomalous search behavior and automatically suspends suspicious accounts until an administrator conducts a formal review.
I've learned a lot in nine years of building @Flock_Safety. Some of it from our customers, and some of it from the communities they serve.
Today we’re announcing the changes that came from listening. A new standard for privacy, security, and accountability in public safety…
— Garrett Langley (@glangley) August 13, 2026
Additionally, police officers are now required to enter valid official investigation case numbers before executing search queries, limiting personal or non-official lookups. The company has also shortened its standard data retention window for Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) from 30 days down to seven days for all new clients.
However, existing customers retain the option to preserve their previously approved retention schedules rather than automatically adopting the new seven-day policy. Furthermore, system administrators maintain the authorization to override certain search restrictions in specific operational scenarios.
Security Updates Overview
| Feature | Specification / Change |
| Audit Assistance | Made mandatory; flags anomalous search patterns and suspends accounts |
| Search Requirements | Mandatory case numbers required before running system queries |
| ALPR Data Retention | Reduced from 30 days to 7 days for new clients |
| Existing Client Policy | Optional opt-in to maintain legacy retention timelines |
Filed in . Read more about Safety, Security and Security camera.