EFF says Flock safeguards leave basic risks intact
Electronic Frontier FoundationDigital-rights advocacy organization
EFF said Flock's August changes included overdue measures but did not resolve the risks of collecting drivers' movements in a searchable network.
Responding to
Flock's August 2026 safeguards meaningfully address privacy and misuse concerns about its license-plate reader network.
“some cosmetic fixes that fail to address the fundamental dangers of this technology”
Analysis
Where this statement fits
Did Flock Safety's August 2026 privacy safeguards address concerns about its camera network?
Flock Safety announced new controls for its license-plate reader network on August 13, 2026. The ACLU said a shorter default retention period might help but argued that the broader package left major privacy risks unresolved. The dispute concerns the adequacy of Flock's safeguards, not whether the company announced them.
Source and context
Analysis
About this source
EFF reviews Flock's announced changes, calls some overdue and argues that others fail to address risks inherent in the network.
Before the quotation
Matthew Guariglia analyzed Flock's announced retention, sharing and audit changes for EFF.
After the quotation
The article treats the shorter default retention period as consequential but says agencies can choose longer periods.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The adequacy of Flock's August package is at issue. EFF directly says the package leaves fundamental risks unresolved.
- Recorded on
- Published here
More from this case
Read the full caseFriedersdorf says Flock overstates its safeguards
“I'd argue that he overstates the strength of Flock's safeguards”Read statement
Henry Fradella says Flock's private settings cannot substitute for laws
“Flock’s new safeguards show that the company concedes that design matters, but private settings cannot substitute for laws. It’s not a matter of making sure officers follow the rules. It’s about creating enforceable limits.”Read statement
Flock says its August updates strengthen account protection while preserving private-sector customers' control
Flock Safety
“Flock's latest privacy, security, and accountability updates strengthen account protection while preserving private-sector customers' control over their data, sharing, and retention settings.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- EFF says Flock safeguards leave basic risks intact
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/2938-eff-said-flock-s-august-changes-included-overdue
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "EFF says Flock safeguards leave basic risks intact". First published: 2026-09-28. Last updated: 2026-09-28. https://disputeindex.com/events/2938-eff-said-flock-s-august-changes-included-overdue