Flock Safety Cameras Stream Vehicle Data Openly, Researcher Finds

Flock Safety, a provider of automated license plate readers and surveillance systems, maintains that its cameras do not track individuals. However, new findings suggest the company's technology often broadcasts live video feeds to the public internet without adequate security controls.

Benn Jordan, a security researcher, discovered dozens of Flock Safety cameras streaming openly online. He noted that the company's own training materials instruct police to use the system to track suspects from one location to another. Jordan stated that the cameras use artificial intelligence to zoom in and follow people as they walk, regardless of whether they are people of interest.

"And they quite literally use AI to zoom in and follow you around whether you're a person of interest or not," Jordan said.

The discovery adds to a growing number of devices that capture vehicle and pedestrian information. As the deployment of these cameras increases, concerns about the privacy of everyday people have intensified. The findings highlight what can happen when surveillance tools are misused or poorly secured.

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