LAPD Cuts Contract With Surveillance Camera Company Over Privacy Concerns

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) opted not to renew its contract with the surveillance technology company Flock on Saturday after a dispute between the two over who controls the data captured by its cameras, according to The New York Post (Right).

The Details: Flock, an Atlanta-based company, operates 138 pole-mounted cameras across Los Angeles that allow authorities to track vehicles by license plate. The company has over 80,000 cameras nationwide, and the LAPD is reportedly one of its biggest customers, though Flock is not the only company the police force uses for reading license plates. Other cities in California and across the US have already cut their ties with Flock.

Split Framing: Across the spectrum, both The New York Post and LA Times (Lean Left) prominently noted that the company has been criticized for how it shares its data with officials, though they offered different framing. The Post said Flock has been "accused" by "left-wing groups" of assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with its operations and immediately noted that the company has denied the allegation. LA Times said Flock has been "criticized" for "sharing its data" and that "advocacy groups worry that information could help President Trump's immigration crackdown." It did not directly mention a denial but included a quote from Flock that mentioned a "misconception."

Key Quotes: LAPD's chief information officer, Dean Gialamas, said, "The sticking point is around having very clear terms about who owns the data, what happens with the data once they collect it." He added that the LAPD would stop using Flock "until we can get those data, privacy, security and sharing concerns ironed out through a contractual relationship." Flock said, "We are confident that through ongoing discussions with LAPD, we can clear up the current misconceptions that led to today's disappointing pause. We hope to resume our successful partnership with the department soon."

How The Media Covered It: The development was first exclusively reported by The New York Post on Friday, a day before the contract expired. LA Times followed up with its own report on Saturday. The story was not widely covered by media across the spectrum.

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