Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Surveillance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges council to put Flock AI data-sharing on the agenda, warns of privacy risks
Summary
Nicholas Kramer told the council the city's Flock AI camera network is "unrestrictedly" sharing residents' movement data with dozens of agencies and the FBI, urging the council to add privacy guardrails or remove the system; he cited national reporting and Supreme Court precedent and asked for formal discussion.
Nicholas Kramer told the Hudson City Council that its use of Flock AI camera analytics is "unrestrictedly" sharing residents' movement data with more than 1,300 departments, including federal agencies, and urged the council to place the matter on a future agenda for formal consideration. Kramer said the system can reveal where people worship, work and attend political events and argued the collection and indefinite sharing of that data risks First and Fourth Amendment harms.
Kramer cited national reporting and Supreme Court cases as a legal backdrop and called on the council to adopt local guardrails or remove the system, noting that "at least 68 cities" have removed or rejected Flock systems over privacy and civil-liberties concerns. He urged elected officials to "put it on the agenda" so the council can discuss limitations on data sharing, oversight, or a policy change.
The public comment did not prompt an immediate staff report or council motion; Kramer said he had previously proposed "common-sense guardrails" and pressed the council to act. Council members did not vote on the matter during the meeting. Kramer also referenced press reporting describing federal interest in protest-related data and quoted a justice to underscore civil-liberties risks.
The council did not schedule a follow-up item on Flock AI during this session; Kramer left the request as a public ask for the council to consider the topic at a future meeting.
