The vibes are bad for Flock in Washington

The Senate Judiciary crime and counterterrorism subcommittee held a hearing on Flock Safety's "AI Surveillance Network," chaired by Josh Hawley (R-MO), though CEOs from Flock, Axon, Motorola Solutions, and Verkada all declined to testify. The hearing featured testimony from cybersecurity experts, a sheriff who ended his department's Flock contract, and a Florida woman who spent 13 days in jail after Flock cameras incorrectly linked her car to a crime scene. Lawmakers from both parties expressed bipartisan concern about automated license plate readers (ALPRs) that collect location data on Americans not accused of crimes, often storing it for up to a month. Cybersecurity engineer Benn Jordan testified he had previously accessed Flock's data with minimal effort, though the company has since improved security. Democrats questioned how federal immigration authorities could be blocked from accessing Flock data and raised concerns about tracking people across state lines for abortion access. Republicans, including Hawley, drew parallels to Second Amendment concerns about government databases tracking gun owners. While legislative action is still in early stages—with Hawley noting he only learned of Flock a month or two ago—both parties acknowledge the need to regulate this technology.

(Source：The Verge)