As soon as I heard about Flock, the now-huge network of cameras that can automatically read license plates and instantly report their location to authorities, I wondered how long it would take before we read about police officers using the network to track girlfriends, wives and exes.
It actually took longer than I thought, but here we are: The Washington Post reported a week ago that at least 50 officers throughout the U.S. have been accused of stalking by using Flock and similar systems. All sorts of national media have now followed the Post story, and we're in an environment of heightened sensibilities about surveillance and about how scary AI might turn out to be, so this story isn't going away any time soon.
In the swamp that is today's social media, some conspiracy theorists are trying to drag in the insurance industry, saying it uses Flock cameras in nefarious ways. As the scandal unfolds, we need to not only make sure we avoid any unethical uses of camera networks but can respond quickly and convincingly to any online trolls alleging abuse.
Let's have a look.
A nephew of mine had his car stolen off the street in Washington, DC, about a year and a half ago. The four young thieves then had the temerity to drive it right past him as he stood on the sidewalk reporting the theft to a police officer. Had Flock cameras been in place in the neighborhood, they could have let police track the car and quickly recover it.
Instead, the car wound up being used in a crime that left the car riddled with bullets and involved a wounded girl being transported in the trunk. Even though the thieves then abandoned the car, the insurance process dragged on for weeks because the adjuster couldn't get access to the car. After all, it was in police custody as a crime scene.
In theory, Flock will gradually prevent more and more thefts, because thieves will either be caught and incarcerated or will simply realize that car theft is a losing proposition. But the backlash to the Washington Post story shows that progress won't be simple or straightforward.
Insurers, rightly, want to lean in on technology that will reduce thefts and, as a result, lower premiums for policyholders. But we all need to be careful. Surveillance cameras, whether those employed by Flock or those increasingly deployed on cars' dashboards, will be toxic for some time.
Cheers,
Paul