Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.)

The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.) reports that the NYPD conducted 1,710 searches on the Flock license plate reader network while publicly denying it had a contract with the company. S.T.O.P. and LatinoJustice PRLDEF are now demanding records related to the findings, raising questions about transparency in the city's surveillance practices.

The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a New York-based privacy group, is warning that Apple AirTags and Amazon Ring doorbells pose significant privacy threats similar to those of Flock safety cameras. S.T.O.P. communications director Will Owen said these devices come with myriad privacy risks, though he argued Flock's massive nationwide network of license plate readers constitutes a far larger dragnet. The comments add to ongoing debate over everyday consumer surveillance technology.