IRMO, S.C. — The town of Irmo, S.C., is working to add 22 more license plate reader cameras, the kind often called Flock cameras after a brand commonly used by law enforcement. The expansion comes as South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson presses Flock Safety for more information about how it handles the data its cameras collect.
Wilson’s office released a letter Monday, Oct. 5, asking the Atlanta-based company about its use of artificial intelligence, who is allowed to access collected information and how long that data is retained. He also asked about facial recognition software, which the company has denied using in its camera network, and about data shared with other customers, including government agencies, across its broader network.
Wilson noted that many South Carolina police and sheriff’s departments use the cameras to identify cars tied to a crime or public safety incident, and that his office supports new tools that help police solve crimes. He wrote that even good tools can be misused and that the stakes are high given a network of more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states. He says public concerns about privacy need to be taken seriously, and he asked the company to respond within 30 days.
Company representatives have told local governments in South Carolina that camera data is automatically deleted after 30 days. Several Midlands agencies use the cameras, while other jurisdictions in the state have moved to restrict the technology or drop it. Wilson is the Republican candidate for governor, facing Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson in a race now less than a month from Election Day.
