Benn Jordan thinks the surveillance problem is much bigger than Flock

Automatic license plate readers have evolved from simple police tools into a pervasive, private, and largely unregulated nationwide surveillance network. Benn Jordan, a musician and investigative journalist, highlights how companies like Flock Safety bypass traditional warrant requirements by creating private databases that law enforcement can access without oversight. This infrastructure enables mass tracking of citizens, often without public consent or clear evidence of crime reduction. Beyond the lack of legal guardrails, these systems suffer from significant security vulnerabilities, including poor access controls and the potential for data exploitation. True accountability requires shifting focus from individual companies to the broader, opaque relationship between private industry and government. Establishing transparency through immutable audit logs and public oversight is essential to curbing the unchecked expansion of surveillance technology in local communities.