Privacy LAPD ends contract with Flock Safety over privacy concerns July 13, 2026 Share By SC Staff (Photo credit: Owen Moore and Home Water Softener Reviews via Wikimedia Commons) The Los Angeles Police Department is ending its contract with surveillance company Flock Safety, citing serious concerns over civil liberties and privacy. The department will not renew its three-year agreement with the company, which is set to expire on Saturday, as reported by TechCrunch. The decision by the LAPD, one of Flock's largest government clients, follows similar moves by other major U.S. cities like Mountain View, California, and South Portland, Maine, which also cited privacy worries and potential misuse of data by federal agencies. Flock's network of at least 80,000 cameras across the U.S. scans license plates, enabling law enforcement to track vehicles. The company has faced significant backlash from communities concerned about surveillance and data security, with instances of cameras being dismantled and security lapses exposing data. Researchers have also documented an increase in motorists being detained due to errors from license plate readers, and journalists have reported being wrongly tracked. Lawmakers have urged investigations into Flock for inadequate security measures, including the lack of multi-factor authentication for police logins, and reports indicate federal agencies have used police credentials to access the system for immigration surveillance. Flock stated the contract expiry was a surprise and expressed confidence in resolving misconceptions, though specific details were not provided. Source: TechCrunch SC Staff Related Privacy 8 victims sue spyware firm Intellexa over Predatorgate scandal SC Staff July 9, 2026 The plaintiffs, including journalist Thanasis Koukakis, lawyers, and intelligence officials, are each seeking €1 million in moral damages. Privacy Sainsbury’s expands facial recognition use to combat shoplifting SC Staff July 6, 2026 The supermarket chain is tripling the number of stores utilizing facial recognition, expanding from over 55 current locations to a projected 200 by year-end. Privacy WhatsApp introduces usernames to enhance user privacy SC Staff June 30, 2026 The new username functionality enables users to set a unique handle and share that instead of their personal phone number when initiating conversations. Get daily email updates SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news Business Email By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Subscribe Related Terms Anonymization Authenticity Basic Authentication Biometrics Certificate-Based Authentication Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) Digest Authentication Digital Certificate Discretionary Access Control (DAC) Geolocation You can skip this ad in 5 seconds