tech
As Wisconsin cities flee Flock, its shared camera network loses value
Perhaps it’s the local summer diet of deep-fried cheese curds, corn on the cob, and Spotted Cow, but Wisconsin residents have been feeling pretty dyspeptic about Flock’s automated license plate cameras.
TL;DR
- Several Wisconsin towns and cities have withdrawn from Flock contracts due to privacy and trust concerns.
- The departure of cities diminishes the usefulness of Flock's shared camera network for remaining users.
- Dane County, including Madison, cut funding and banned Flock cameras, impacting data sharing with 140 other agencies.
- Cities like Monona, McFarland, Fitchburg, and the University of Wisconsin police force have reviewed or canceled their Flock contracts.
- Concerns include the national search feature and how data is used by other areas.
- Similar trends are observed in northeastern Wisconsin, with Oshkosh, Appleton, Grand Chute, and Kaukauna ending their Flock usage.
- Some cities are switching to competing products, such as Axon, citing better privacy features.
- Public resistance has been a significant factor in these decisions, leading Flock to implement new audit controls and reduce data retention periods.
- The 'network effect' has worked in reverse, as customer departures reduce the value of the service.