Isaacs welcomes case numbers but wants legal mandates
Max IsaacsNYU Policing Project director of technology law and policy
Max Isaacs welcomed Flock's case-number requirement but said safeguards should be mandated by law and its automated auditing needs evidence before replacing human review.
Responding to
Flock's August 2026 safeguards meaningfully address privacy and misuse concerns about its license-plate reader network.
“this kind of safeguard should be required by law”
Interview
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
Interview
About this source
Original interviews assess the case-number requirement, automated auditing and whether the announced controls will reduce misuse.
Before the quotation
The Washington Post interviewed Isaacs about Flock's announced search and audit controls.
After the quotation
He questioned why the case-number requirement had not been built in sooner.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The August package is at issue. Isaacs sees a useful change but says company policy and an unproven audit tool are insufficient.
- 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
- Isaacs welcomes case numbers but wants legal mandates
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/2941-max-isaacs-welcomed-flock-s-case-number-requirement
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Isaacs welcomes case numbers but wants legal mandates". First published: 2026-09-28. Last updated: 2026-09-28. https://disputeindex.com/events/2941-max-isaacs-welcomed-flock-s-case-number-requirement