Boston Terminates Flock Safety Contract Over Data Privacy Breach

The Government of Boston terminated its contract with Flock Safety after discovering a vendor error allowed law enforcement agencies across the United States to access license plate and vehicle data. The breach occurred during a trial of approximately 45 Automated License Plate Recognition cameras conducted by the Boston Police Department from April 1 to September 4, 2025.

City officials discovered within three days of the pilot's launch that a nationwide lookup feature had been enabled in error. This function violated a contractual agreement that restricted data access exclusively to trained Boston police personnel. Upon discovery, the Boston Police Department directed the vendor to disable the feature immediately.

In a joint statement, the city and police department announced the total cessation of Flock services to protect privacy rights and civil liberties. This decision follows a broader trend in Massachusetts, where several communities have paused or canceled similar surveillance contracts due to concerns over privacy and reports of officer misuse.