Flock license plate reader wrongly linked a San Diego man to a violent crime

Post by tptacek » Tue, Jun 09, 2026, 6:51 PM UTC

turtlesdown11 wrote: post #50

tptacek wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It didn't lead SDPD to any person at all. It led them to a red Alfa Romeo with tinted windows. Flock doesn't do facial recognition. It's a real-time search engine for cars on video feeds.

as I posted elsewhere, a tool that requires perfect human oversight to avoid harming innocent people is a problem

Post by tptacek » Wed, Jun 10, 2026, 5:05 PM UTC

turtlesdown11 wrote: post #52

tptacek wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People are writing as if an ALPR directed these cops to arrest someone. No, it didn't. They asked it where they could find a red Alfa. It accurately told them. It's not the tool's fault it didn't occur to SDPD that there could in San Diego be in fact 2 red Alfas.

Is it also not the tool's fault that cops keep using it to stalk people? https://www.404media.co/cops-keep-getting-arrested-for-using...