Benn Jordan Discusses Flock and Growing Surveillance Backlash

The Verge’s Nilay Patel spoke with musician and researcher Benn Jordan about Flock Safety, automatic license plate readers and public concern over surveillance. Jordan, who lives in Atlanta, said he began looking into Flock cameras about two years ago after noticing them around the city.

Jordan recently testified at a hearing held by the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, which examined Flock and other automatic license plate reader systems. He has also investigated security vulnerabilities and reported them to Flock. Jordan said he communicates directly with the company, including its CEO, Garrett Langley, as part of an effort to address surveillance overreach.

The discussion comes amid growing criticism of Flock. Hundreds of cities, counties and other local governments have begun canceling contracts, and Republican Sen. Josh Hawley is investigating the company. Reuters reported last week that Flock plans to cut about 18 percent of its workforce.

Jordan said he does not hate Flock as a company, and argued that its response to critics has made it an easy target while competitors Axon and Motorola build similar networks. He said the wider issue involves the relationship among private companies, government and law enforcement, and a lack of transparency around surveillance systems and police access. He described his work with researchers, civil rights groups and journalists as an accountability effort.