Hackers Got Inside a Flock Camera. Its Data Shows How the System Really Works
Hackers successfully breached a Flock surveillance camera, revealing that the devices collect more data than previously disclosed, including images of people and specific objects. The investigation highlights concerns regarding privacy, encryption, and the growing public backlash against automated surveillance systems.
Why it matters
The breach exposes the gap between corporate claims of privacy-focused encryption and the actual capabilities of mass surveillance hardware used by law enforcement.
The breach provides an unprecedented look inside a system that Flock has described as protected by on-device encryption. The hackers were able to copy the camera’s storage and recover an encryption key stored on the device, which unlocked videos of thousands of vehicle detections. The hackers shared the material with 404 Media and the transparency nonprofit Distributed Denial of Secrets, which shared the data with WIRED. 404 Media and WIRED then analyzed those files as part of a joint investigation.
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