Protest Against Police Surveillance at Tech Conference

Activists in costume brought their campaign against a police surveillance company right to a major tech conference. On Wednesday, dozens of anti-Flock demonstrators assembled outside TechCrunch Disrupt at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, while Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley was speaking inside, as per reports from Fight for the Future campaign director Reem Suleiman. The rally was organized by nine groups, including the Wolves and the Silicon Valley Democratic Socialists of America, and called for an end to the automated license plate readers (ALPR) technology that Flock sells to police departments across the country.

“I think it’s really essential for the community to reclaim what’s basically the essence of our city to make our values clear,” Suleiman shared. “You can’t profess to protect immigrant communities and then partner with a surveillance company linked to ICE and outside police agencies that misuse it for things like cracking down on abortions.”

Some protesters wore cardboard cameras and costumes from “The Handmaid’s Tale,” while others displayed signs with slogans like “Flock = ICE” and “Flock Off.” As clips from “1984” echoed in the background, Langley continued his speech inside the venue.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, president of the California State Sheriffs’ Association, defended the use of the technology, suggesting the opposition stemmed from a “far left, pro-criminal movement.” He emphasized that ALPR is not surveillance and has been legally validated in numerous court cases over the years, arguing it has aided in solving serious crimes.

Flock’s press center claims that its stationary license plate cameras have withstood Fourth Amendment challenges and stress that they do not have any contracts with ICE. The company asserts that its cameras have played a role in locating more than 10,000 missing individuals in the past year.

If any clients were found to be misusing the technology, Langley stated, they would be terminated immediately. He acknowledged the nuances in the debate but affirmed that no customers have been fired thus far, though it remains a possibility if significant legal issues arise.

Ashley Ortiz from the Wolves played a key role in organizing the rally, stating that Flock’s surveillance system has not proven effective in enhancing safety. Instead, she noted, it has been misused to track individuals fleeing domestic violence or wrongfully accuse others.

Herscher, another organizer, mentioned that the group specifically chose the conference due to Langley’s presence, indicating that their involvement wouldn’t have occurred otherwise. He remarked that there’s an ongoing mix of joy and anger in their activism, and they aim to make their protests as lively as possible.

Discussions on the use of ALPR technology in local law enforcement revealed a discrepancy, according to Herscher. He observed that although police might want to do the right thing, they often overlook the negatives related to the technology.

In April, an officer in the San Jose Police Department was fired after he accessed the Flock network to assist a relative involved in a domestic violence case.

Responses from TechCrunch regarding the protests were not immediately available.