Flock Considered Using Rideshare Dashcams for License Plate Surveillance and Coached Police on Public Messaging

Flock Safety considered expanding its license plate surveillance network by using dashcams installed in Uber, Lyft, and delivery vehicles, according to documents obtained by 404 Media. The proposed partnership with dashcam maker Nexar would have involved about 350,000 devices, potentially turning Flock’s normally fixed license plate reader network into a mobile surveillance system. Flock said the partnership was never implemented, and the available documents do not indicate whether drivers would have been aware of the proposed data collection. Nexar separately suffered a major breach in September that exposed large amounts of customer video.

The article also highlights claims from a former Flock government affairs manager that the company provided Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection with direct access to cameras through a pilot program while internally telling employees that it did not work with ICE. Separately, a Flock coaching guide reportedly advised police on how to approach city officials and frame arguments for adopting the company’s technology, including emphasizing the cost of unresolved crime rather than the price of the surveillance system.

The roundup covers several other major cybersecurity and privacy developments. Cyberattacks against water utilities have now been reported in at least 12 states, with some incidents disrupting pressure and forcing operators to manually control equipment. A phishing attack also compromised the Microsoft 365 environment of defense supplier IEH Corporation, potentially exposing sensitive engineering and export-controlled information. Meanwhile, ransomware operator Maksim Silnikau received a 16-year prison sentence after being linked to attacks on at least 18 organizations. Finally, a federal judge in Mississippi ruled that cell-tower dumps violate the Fourth Amendment, finding that collecting location records from large numbers of people near crime scenes constitutes an unconstitutional search.