Flock Safety AI Tool Lets Police Search for People via Written Descriptions
Reverse-engineered code reveals a surveillance capability that contradicts the company's public claims about individual tracking.
Flock Safety has deployed an AI-powered search tool that allows law enforcement to locate individuals across surveillance networks using written descriptions. The discovery reveals a significant expansion of the company's surveillance capabilities that contradicts its own public assurances.
According to reports from WIRED, the tool enables police officers to input text-based descriptions to search for specific people across a wide network of cameras. WIRED uncovered the existence and functionality of the tool by reconstructing and analyzing the code delivered directly to the web browsers of police officers using the system.
The Surveillance Shift
Flock Safety is primarily recognized as a leading provider of automated license plate recognition (ALPR) technology. While the company built its reputation on tracking vehicles, it has steadily expanded its software suite. This new AI capability marks a transition from vehicle-centric monitoring to more advanced person-tracking and identification tools integrated directly into police workflows.
Privacy and Public Trust
This development represents a critical escalation in urban surveillance. The ability to query a camera network for a person based on a description—such as clothing or physical traits—creates a powerful tool for real-time tracking. This functionality stands in direct opposition to Flock Safety's long-standing public claims that its technology "cannot recognize, identify, or track individuals."
The discrepancy between the company's public-facing privacy promises and the actual technical capabilities of its software raises urgent civil liberties concerns. Critics argue that such tools can be deployed without sufficient oversight or public debate, potentially leading to widespread misuse in identifying and monitoring citizens.
What Remains Unconfirmed
While the technical existence of the tool is confirmed through the analysis of browser code, the full scale of its deployment remains unclear. It is not yet known how many police departments have activated this specific AI search feature or what specific guardrails, if any, are in place to prevent the tool from being used for unauthorized surveillance. Observers will be watching to see if Flock Safety updates its public disclosures to align with the actual functionality of its software.