Police want Axon's cameras redesigned so they don't get mistaken for Flock's

Axon is currently exploring design changes to its Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) to avoid becoming the next target of people destroying Flock cameras. The strategy, among others under consideration, suggests surveillance companies are making real efforts to get ahead of the rising negative press from mass surveillance opponents. Read Entire Article

Ripple Effect

As Flock's AI-powered surveillance cameras become increasingly unpopular across the US, many communities have pivoted to another provider, Axon. To help Axon's cameras avoid the same backlash, some law enforcement clients have floated an idea: making surveillance cameras look less like surveillance cameras. Axon is currently exploring design changes to its ALPRs to avoid becoming the next target of people destroying Flock cameras. The strategy, among others under consideration, suggests surveillance companies are making real efforts to get ahead of the rising negative press from mass surveillance opponents. Primarily known for supplying police departments across the US with body cameras, Axon also makes ALPRs that resemble Flock's. Cameras from both companies automatically log license plates from passing vehicles into searchable databases, but Flock became the face of the technology as its devices spread to thousands of communities. As privacy advocates began destroying Flock cameras and hundreds of communities canceled their contracts with the company, some simply replaced the cameras with Axon's. However, Axon's pole-mounted ALPRs closely resemble Flock's, so authorities are unsurprisingly concerned they could become targets, too.

Webinar Revelations

The topic came up in a now-deleted webinar Axon held last week, which YouTuber MegaraMedia downloaded before it was taken down and shared with 404 Media. When an audience member asked whether Axon was considering changing the appearance of its cameras to resemble Flock's less, CEO Rick Smith said the company is looking at changing their shape after many customers requested a different look. Additional strategies under consideration include:

• Axon's Lightpost program aims to place cameras on streetlights, making them harder to reach.
• Signs that explicitly label the cameras and explain a community's ALPR policy.
• Flock and Axon are also pursuing drone-based surveillance.

Surveillance Scrutiny

AI-powered surveillance cameras have come under scrutiny because they let authorities track the movements of vehicles and people. However, prior reports suggest they often misread license plates, and more than a dozen officers have been caught using them to stalk former romantic partners. As the cameras become increasingly infamous, some departments have instructed officers to avoid mentioning their deployment whenever possible. Although hundreds of cities across the US have canceled contracts with Flock over the past several years, the company claims new contracts outpace cancellations by around 10 to one.