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Students, residents urge Saratoga to end Flock Safety camera contracts over privacy concerns
Summary
Multiple public commenters at the Feb. 4 meeting urged Saratoga to cancel contracts with Flock Safety ALPR cameras, citing data-security concerns, potential sharing with out-of-state agencies and litigation in other cities; councilors asked staff to provide an update to residents.
Several residents and students used the public comment period on Feb. 4 to urge the City Council to cancel Saratoga's contracts with Flock Safety, the company that supplies automated license-plate reader (ALPR) cameras.
Anthony Loa, a Saratoga High School senior, summarized reporting and audits alleging data-security failures at many ALPR programs and said the company’s data networks have been accessed and shared in ways that threaten civil liberties. "This city is responsible for the private and personal data it has already egregiously failed to protect and will continue to fail to protect from hackers, criminals, foreign governments, and even government entities accessing the Flock mass surveillance network," he told the council.
Other commenters said jurisdictions including Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills have shut off Flock cameras and that civil litigation is pending in several cities. A resident who had supported the pilot asked the council to review how Flock handles data and compare the program’s outcomes to the council’s original objectives.
In council communications later in the meeting a member asked staff to include an update in the weekly newsletter about any known instances of outside access to Saratoga’s camera data and for clarification on how the cameras are used locally. Council discussion at the meeting did not produce a directive to terminate the contract; instead members requested more information from staff.
The council did not take formal action to cancel or extend Flock Safety contracts at this meeting; public concerns were recorded and councilors asked staff for follow-up information.
