Flock Safety, the surveillance company that has long maintained its cameras only identify license plates, is under fire after WIRED recreated a police AI product that appears to identify license plates and people.
Here's what to know
In a TikTok video summarizing its investigation, WIRED (@wired) said code found on Flock's own website allowed it to assemble a mock version of a police tool that "goes much further than just tracking license plates."
@wired Vehicle surveillance giant Flock Safety has told the public for years that its technology "cannot recognize, identify, or track individuals." It has now built a system that does both, an artificial intelligence tool for police that can identify drivers and track vehicles by their patterns of movement alone, WIRED has learned. To support our newsroom so that we can keep breaking stories like this, share this video, follow our account, and subscribe to WIRED.com.
♬ original sound - WIRED.COM
The outlet contrasted this finding with Flock Safety's public claim that its technology "cannot recognize, identify, or track individuals."
According to the WIRED investigation, the system uses its camera network spanning more than 6,000 communities to infer who is driving and trace vehicles through their movement patterns. The product was first called Night Shift but has now been renamed OS Investigate.
By drawing on information like police case files and data from data brokers, the software can connect plate numbers to names, home addresses, and family members.
The outlet also said the system can flag possible witnesses based on repeated license plate appearances in a neighborhood and suggest potential associates when cars are repeatedly seen together on camera.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
Flock told WIRED that the product is still being developed and may not match the version eventually provided to law enforcement.
Yet, WIRED said it found 69 suggested prompts across more than 450 files.
More background
The reporting lands amid growing backlash against Flock Safety. The company's surveillance cameras have drawn public anger and been targeted by countless vandals.
Flock has also admitted that it was too slow to put safeguards in place against police misuse.
The concern is no longer limited to license plate readers alone. If a system can flag people based on how they or people around them travel, then everyday activities can look like investigatory leads.
And unfortunately, police officers have reportedly demonstrated an upsetting pattern of consistently misusing this technology. The Institute for Justice has a database that tracks automated license plate reader abuse, and a majority of incidents have happened within 2026.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
