Flock Safety is rolling out a series of changes aimed at strengthening privacy protections, accountability measures and security safeguards for its automated license plate reader platform, according to a Thursday news release from CEO Garrett Langley.

The updates come as the company faces increased scrutiny over how ALPR data is retained, shared and accessed by law enforcement agencies. Langley said the changes are intended to give agencies greater control over data while reinforcing public trust in the technology.

"We are updating our recommendation and default to a 7-day retention" period, Langley said in the release, adding that the company will continue refining its approach to balance public safety needs with privacy concerns.

Among the changes are shorter recommended data retention periods, new requirements for audit reviews and case numbers, additional controls over interagency data sharing and expanded security measures. Langley said the initiatives reflect the company's ongoing effort to improve both privacy and accountability without limiting the investigative value many agencies derive from the system.

Langley also addressed concerns stemming from reports involving erroneous vehicle alerts and wrongful stops, stressing that ALPR alerts are intended to generate investigative leads rather than establish probable cause on their own.

"The central point is simple: an alert is a lead, not a conclusion, which should be confirmed by an officer," Langley said.

According to the company, its system uses machine-learning models and confidence scoring to reduce false reads before alerts are sent to officers. Langley emphasized that officers are expected to visually verify license plates and ensure any stop complies with agency policy and applicable law before taking enforcement action.

Transparency Push

Flock is also encouraging agencies to activate the company's Transparency Portal, which publishes information about camera policies, data retention periods, sharing partners and system usage.

Over 1,500 agencies currently use the portal, according to Langley, who described transparency as an important component of maintaining community trust as debates over ALPR technology continue nationwide.

"These changes reflect years of work and deliberation," Langley said. "They are not the end of that work, but simply the continuation of our commitment to both safety and privacy."