Flock cameras are tracking people as well as cars


Flock Safety’s cameras are automated license plate readers (ALPRs) designed to help police find stolen cars or wanted suspects.

A joint investigation by 404 Media and WIRED, based on data recovered from a physically removed Flock camera, found that its on-device software explicitly detects people as well as vehicles, bicycles, and license plates.

Separately, Washington DC’s police union says the Metropolitan Police Department used Flock data to track officers under Internal Affairs investigation without their knowledge.

Together, these reports illustrate a privacy problem: A network built to record the movements of vehicles can readily be used to follow almost anyone. The latest reporting adds an important technical detail to that debate.

Read more…
Source:  MalwareBytes Labs


Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • How hackers ruined a Disney employee’s life after he downloaded AI photo tool

    February 27, 2025

    A former Disney employee’s world was turned upside down when he downloaded an artificial intelligence-powered photo program, unaware that it was laced with hacking software, during a massive data breach at the entertainment giant. In July, Matthew Van Andel, an engineer at Disney at the time, got a message on the chat forum Discord from an ...

  • New York amends data breach law

    February 24, 2025

    On December 24, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed into law an amendment to section 899-aa of the N.Y. General Business Law, also known as The Shield Act, modifying the law’s data breach notification requirements. The amendment, which took effect immediately, incorporates provisions that other states have adopted in recent years. First, the amendment shortens ...

  • US Coast Guard Suffers Data Breach, Pay Delayed for 1,135 Members

    February 14, 2025

    The Coast Guard’s personnel and payroll system experienced a data breach resulting in a delay in pay for 1,135 service members. The breach will affect bi-weekly pay for 1,135 members, according to a Coast Guard statement to USNI News. “The Coast Guard Investigative Service and Coast Guard Cyber Command are leading an exhaustive investigation to determine ...

  • Trump administration fires over 400 DHS employees as mass firings continue

    February 14, 2025

    The Trump administration on Friday moved to fire more than 400 employees at the Department of Homeland Security, the latest effort in a government-wide campaign to dramatically reduce the federal workforce. Officials at DHS said they had fired hundreds of employees across several of its agencies after supervisors identified “non-mission critical personnel in probationary status” within ...

  • China’s Salt Typhoon hackers continue to breach telecom firms despite US sanctions

    February 13, 2025

    Security researchers say the Chinese government-linked hacking group, Salt Typhoon, is continuing to compromise telecommunications providers, despite the recent sanctions imposed by the U.S. government on the group. In a report shared with TechCrunch, threat intelligence firm Recorded Future said it had observed Salt Typhoon — which the company tracks as “RedMike” — breaching five telecommunications ...

  • Upper Michigan: Cyber attack hits Sault Tribe offices

    February 13, 2025

    A ransomware attack that shut down gaming at all five Kewadin Casino locations also impacted other offices at an eastern Upper Peninsula tribe. The tribe made the announcement Monday and said it could be a week or more before regular operations can resume. “On Sunday morning, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians suffered a ...