ELI5: How long do Flock cameras keep your license plate data?

Flock cameras usually keep your license plate information for 30 days before automatically deleting it forever.

Imagine you are playing a game where you take a picture of every car that drives down your street, put the picture into a special scrapbook, and write down the date. If nothing bad happens in the neighborhood, you tear out those pages and throw them in the trash after 30 days so the book never gets too full.

Here is how it works in everyday life:

• Snap the picture: When a car drives by, the camera takes a photo of the license plate and notes the car's color and make.
• Store safely: The picture goes into a digital safe where only authorized people, like the police or neighborhood safety managers, can look at it.
• Search if needed: If a bicycle gets stolen or a lost dog is spotted near a car, the police can check the pictures from the last few days to find clues.
• Automatic deletion: If the picture is not tied to an active police investigation or a crime, the computer system completely erases it after 30 days.