Flock Safety’s solar-powered cameras could make surveillance more widespread

Flock Safety unveiled its solar-powered, 5G-connected Solar Condor ALPR cameras, promoting AI/ML analytics and simplified deployment across thousands of U.S. communities, while privacy advocates like the ACLU criticize the system’s broad data collection, 30-day retention, and misidentifications that have led to wrongful stops and lawsuits. The piece weighs claims of crime-solving effectiveness against risks of mass surveillance, questions whether dense ALPR networks approximate GPS-level tracking, and raises concerns about appropriate oversight for a rapidly expanding, privately operated camera infrastructure.