Who Can Access Flock Camera Data?

The owning agency

Flock’s policy says LPR data “is owned by the customer.” Each customer designates administrators, and access goes to users the agency authorizes “based on job role.” Every search is tied to a user and logged with its stated purpose. See audit logs and search records. Customers include HOAs and businesses as well as police. See private and HOA cameras.

Other agencies

Flock says customers “choose whether to share LPR data with other customers” and that nothing is shared unless they turn sharing on. When agencies do share, it can be broad. California’s State Auditor found agencies sharing with hundreds, and in one case over a thousand, entities. See data retention and sharing and can police search Flock data from other states?

Flock itself

Flock says designated engineers and other staff can access system data to provide support. Its policy also says Flock may disclose data to law enforcement or others “if legally required to do so,” or if it believes disclosure is reasonably necessary to comply with legal process or address security, fraud or technical issues. Flock says it will not sell customer LPR data or disclose it for commercial purposes.

The public, and defendants

Flock says there’s “no public database.” Public records laws may give access to policies and audits, but raw plate data is often confidential. Tennessee law, for example, makes it confidential. See public records requests. A defendant’s route to records about their case is usually discovery. See requesting ALPR records in discovery.