Flock will require case numbers for searches but will not verify them, leaving potential loopholes.
Flock will require officers to enter a criminal case number before searching its nationwide network of license plate readers. The company will also expand automated auditing of suspicious searches. The changes follow reports that officers used the technology to stalk or harass current or former romantic partners.
Flock is a major provider of license plate reader technology for police departments across the United States. The new rules aim to limit misuse, but the company will not verify case numbers. The lack of verification leaves potential loopholes for officers to bypass the safeguards.
For builders and operators, Flock’s shift is a lesson in designing access controls for sensitive systems. Requiring a case number is not enough; the company must verify that number and audit misuse. Any platform that grants access to personal data needs verifiable safeguards to prevent abuse.
Meanwhile, scientists are advancing cloning and pediatric cell-mapping research. One team used CRISPR to create female clones from male mouse embryos, aiming to aid conservation. Another scientist is building a database of healthy pediatric tissue to help map childhood development. Watch for updates on Flock’s enforcement, cloning applications, and the Human Cell Atlas.
What matters
- Flock now requires officers to enter a criminal case number before searching license plate data.
- Builders should require verifiable access controls for sensitive data, not just form fields.
- Watch whether Flock verifies case numbers as cloning and pediatric cell mapping advance.
Why it matters
Watch whether Flock verifies case numbers as cloning and pediatric cell mapping advance.
This GenAI News article was prepared in original wording using reporting and materials published by MIT Technology Review AI. Source reference: https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/14/1142033/the-download-flock-new-rules-cloning-future/.
Drafted by the GenAI News review pipeline.