The extensive community conversation we have been having regarding whether the Flock Safety license-plate reading camera systems should remain in our communities has been an inspiring exercise in democracy. Eugene City Council has listened to that debate and shut off the cameras, which is deeply appreciated. Springfield City Council chose to not activate theirs, acting with admirable and healthy skepticism.

However, for all of the productive debate, I believe we miss a fundamental point: Between the security flaws in the system and their corporate behavior, Flock is a fundamentally untrustworthy partner.

One need only look to the recent inadvertent camera activation in our own backyard. The city of Springfield responded with admirable transparency, but even granting everyone involved the best intentions, the incident illustrates that these cameras can be re-added to the Flock network without community knowledge or approval.

The experience of Evanston, Illinois, speaks to how little Flock can be trusted as a company. Evanston was forced to file a cease and desist order, and then bag its cameras, after Flock flagrantly defied the decision to remove the cameras by reinstalling and reactivating some that had been taken down.

Dig deeper, and it becomes apparent just how easily access to Flock cameras can be abused, even in our own backyard.

Given this, we simply cannot trust that Flock can or will adequately ensure the security of the data or potential live feeds their cameras have the capability to enable. Especially not without a transparent and open audit system, managed by an independent third party, to track when cameras are accessed and by whom, as well as whether any partner agencies were granting sharing access and for what purpose. And especially not without a means to manage and revoke access to the data.

Above all, operating such a system in partnership with a private entity requires a foundation of trust, transparency and good faith. Flock has demonstrated they cannot provide this. The governments of Lane County must end their contracts and refuse to do business with companies like Flock ever again.

Wyn Manselle
Eugene