Flock Safety Cameras Follow Pedestrians, Researcher Finds
A security researcher discovered dozens of Flock Safety cameras streaming live video on the public internet, a finding that complicates the company's claim that its hardware does not track individuals.
By Alina Carter ·
Dozens of Flock Safety cameras are broadcasting live video to the public internet without a password, according to security researcher Benn Jordan. The discovery exposes a vulnerability in the network of surveillance devices installed across the country. Flock Safety sells these cameras to police departments and other agencies to capture vehicle data and identify suspects.
The company maintains that its cameras do not track people. However, internal training materials show officers using the system to monitor suspects as they move from one location to another. Some camera models feature hardware designed to physically follow a person while they walk. Jordan noted that the system uses artificial intelligence to zoom in and keep a subject in frame regardless of whether that subject is a target of an investigation.
"And they quite literally use AI to zoom in and follow you around whether you're a person of interest or not," Jordan said. His research identified the open streams by scanning for unsecured ports on the device network. This allows anyone with the correct address to view the footage in real time.
The privacy implications of these cameras extend beyond traffic enforcement. As the number of these devices multiplies, concerns have grown among privacy advocates about the level of detail captured in public spaces. The cameras record high-resolution images of pedestrians, vehicles, and storefronts. Flock Safety has not yet issued a specific response to Jordan's findings regarding the open streams.
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