The Download: Flock’s new rules, cloning’s future, and children’s cells
This newsletter covers updates on police surveillance technology, advancements in CRISPR-based cloning research, and the importance of including children in human cell mapping projects. It highlights both the potential benefits of these technologies and the ongoing concerns regarding privacy and ethical implementation.
Why it matters
These developments represent the intersection of rapid technological progress and the need for robust ethical frameworks in policing, biotechnology, and medical research.
Plus: Ukrainian drones defeated US forces in a military exercise.
This is today's edition of The Download , our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology.
The police-tech giant Flock is changing officers’ access to its nationwide network of license plate readers. The move comes amid a backlash over mass surveillance and reports of officers using the technology to stalk and harass current or former romantic partners.
To combat that, the company will require them to enter a criminal case number before searching its database and expand automated auditing of suspicious searches. But because Flock won’t verify those case numbers, officers could still find ways around the safeguards.
Here’s what Flock is changing—and where loopholes remain .
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