Recent media coverage of Flock Safety, the fast-growing US surveillance technology company, sheds light on the local battles over the deployment of automated license plate readers.
In South Carolina, officials have been sparring over whether to install 25 new cameras, a dispute that reflects broader questions about cost, oversight, and how much surveillance communities are willing to accept. The city of Los Angeles recently broke its contract with Flock Safety, though Flock’s CEO argues that the suspension should be temporary while the police department revises its rules.
Public opposition has fueled many of these cancellations, reflecting concerns that the system facilitates mass surveillance and can lead to harms such as discriminatory policing and privacy infringements…