Silicon Valley Cities Reconsider Surveillance Ties Amid ICE Concerns
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Silicon Valley communities are increasingly scrutinizing their relationships with Flock Safety, a license plate reader (LPR) company, following reports of potential collaboration between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The growing unease centers on fears that data collected by the cameras is being used to target immigrant communities.
Several cities and counties across California are now grappling with the ethical and legal implications of deploying this surveillance technology. Santa Clara County officials this week signaled growing distrust with Flock Safety, a company that sells license plate reading cameras to cities across California.
Growing Distrust and Municipal Action
The shift in sentiment began earlier this month when Holy Cross and Los Altos Hills took decisive action, severing ties with Flock Safety altogether. “Effectively immediately, all Flock cameras in (Los Altos Hills) will go offline,” town officials announced on January 15th. This move effectively cut off the Sheriff’s Office’s access to data from the 31 Flock Safety cameras previously deployed in Los Altos Hills.
According to a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Brooks Jarosz, “We no longer receive (automated license plate reader) data from Los Altos Hills’ 31 Flock Safety cameras or have access to any data from Los Altos Hills.”
Supervisor Calls for Due Diligence
District 2 Supervisor Betty Duong initiated a delay in the renewal of the county’s camera use policy during a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday. This pause is intended to allow for a thorough investigation into how the cameras are being utilized. Duong emphasized the need for “due diligence” following public concerns regarding potential data sharing with ICE.
“I’m against sharing information with ICE in any way that’s weaponized against our immigrant communities,” Duong stated. She clarified her continued support for the use of license plate readers and the Sheriff’s policies, but stressed the importance of preventing misuse of personal data.
Flock Safety Responds to Allegations
Flock Safety, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, maintains that it does not share data with ICE. A company spokesperson, Holly Beilin, asserted, “Flock does not have a contract with ICE, or any sub-agency of (the Department of Homeland Security). None of those agencies are customers of Flock.” Beilin further explained that the company has disabled data-sharing settings for California agencies to comply with state law, which prohibits sharing LPR data out of state or with federal agencies.
However, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) contends that Flock’s user agreement grants the company broad discretion to share data with federal authorities, potentially overriding municipal restrictions. Beilin highlighted the benefits of the technology, stating that California cities utilizing Flock technology have seen positive impacts in solving crimes and recovering missing persons.
County Review and Potential Vendor Changes
Supervisor Duong has requested a comprehensive review of Flock’s data-sharing practices and has asked Sheriff Bob Jonsen to explore alternative vendors during the one-month deferral period. “I trust the sheriff to implement these cameras in a way our policies were designed,” Duong said. “I’m not against (automated license plate readers), and I believe in cities’ autonomy to decide the best public safety programs for them, but I am against any misuse of any personal and private data.”
Sheriff Jonsen’s office has not yet responded to inquiries regarding potential alternative vendors. Jarosz affirmed the Sheriff’s commitment to the current policy, emphasizing its strict standards for privacy and technology implementation. He also stated, “We do not share (automated license plate reader) data with any other law enforcement agencies through Flock, and all data is owned by the cities and managed exclusively by our office — not by Flock.”
Legal Challenges and Ongoing Operations
The scrutiny surrounding Flock Safety extends beyond policy debates. San Jose is currently facing a lawsuit filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the ACLU, alleging that the city’s use of Flock cameras violates the state constitution through warrantless searches of drivers’ records.
Despite the ongoing review and legal challenges, Jarosz confirmed that current camera operations will not be affected by the Board of Supervisors’ contract delay. “We will continue working with the board to address any concerns,” he said.
