Flock Safety, the embattled AI-powered security camera operator, announced an overhaul to its privacy and security measures Thursday amid growing backlash from consumers and reports of law enforcement abuse. 

As public backlash to the company’s growing network of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) continues to build, the company announced a new set of reforms that includes enhanced privacy protections, strengthening of control for local law enforcement offices and enhanced accountability measures.

To start, Flock is reducing its standard data retention window from 30 days to seven. Previously, all data captured by one of the company’s more than 119,000 cameras nationwide was deleted after the 30-day window. Now, the company announced on Thursday that data will only live on Flock servers for one week.

While law enforcement agencies often respond to privacy-concerned critics by explaining that the Flock system helps them catch criminals, Flock said that 90% of all searches using its product happen within a week anyway, seemingly keeping the privacy reform consistent with law enforcement priorities.

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However, for law enforcement agencies that need more time to investigate, Flock announced the launch of “Evidence Mode,” a feature that will allow agencies to preserve data for longer based on state or local policy. 

Another privacy protection the company announced will be the ability for agencies to decide which types of criminal offenses they want to share data about with other municipalities. 

“For example, City A could allow City B to search its cameras for a stolen vehicle or violent crime while blocking searches related to immigration enforcement,” the company said.

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Flock has come under fire from privacy advocates and concerned citizens, who expressed worry that Flock will be storing data on servers for the long term. 

Some, such as Knox County, Tennessee, Mayor Glen Jacobs have called for a national moratorium on the deployment of Flock’s cameras. 

Civil liberties advocates, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have also offered significant criticisms. 

The ACLU said in a Thursday statement that Flock’s reforms “seem to be a thinly veiled PR attempt to counter communities’ genuine privacy concerns with its mass surveillance system with largely hollow security promises, rather than an earnest effort to address them.”

The backlash has been partially fueled by reports of police abusing the technology to stalk romantic…

Since the start of 2025, the US under President Donald Trump has upended global trade flows, injecting fresh uncertainty into relations with allies and trading partners alike.

Canada, despite being one of the United States’ closest economic partners, has not escaped the fallout. Tariffs targeting key industries such as steel and aluminum have reignited trade tensions and sharpened concerns over Canada’s dependence on the US market.

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Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberal Party rode those concerns to victory in the 2025 federal election, pledging to diversify Canada’s trade relationships, strengthen interprovincial commerce and fast-track nation-building projects tied to the country’s resource wealth.

The stakes are enormous.

According to Natural Resources Canada, the resource sector contributed C$459 billion to nominal GDP in 2024, accounting for 16 percent of the economy. More than half of Canada’s merchandise exports — worth C$383 billion — came from the sector, with roughly 75 percent destined for the US.

In other words, Canada’s resource economy is not just important; it is foundational.

Now, Ottawa is moving to turn that economic strength into a strategic advantage.

The landscape for medical cannabis and psychedelic therapies has rapidly shifted in just a few weeks following recent executive actions in the US.

Between the formal rescheduling of medical cannabis to Schedule III and an executive order aimed at accelerating mental health treatments, several pockets of the market are emerging as clear beneficiaries.

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Regulatory reforms could enable Asia-Pacific (APAC) businesses to access round-the-clock clean power, cutting emissions and driving sustainable growth, according to a new report by the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA).

The report sets out a framework to help APAC economies—responsible for nearly 60% of global electricity demand growth over the next two decades—transition to fully decarbonised grids.

The report focuses on five key markets: South Korea, India, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.

“The APAC region is the engine of global growth, but its success, security and sustainability depends on access to clean, reliable, and cost-effective energy,” said Bruce Douglas, CEO of the Global Renewables Alliance.

“Achieving 24/7 carbon-free energy in APAC is about building the renewables, grids and storage that businesses are demanding.”

The report outlines three strategic pillars for accelerating the shift to 24/7 clean electricity:

1. Policy and Market Reform: Introducing time-stamped Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), streamlining permitting processes, and enabling corporate clean energy matching in real-time.
2. Grid Modernisation and Storage: Scaling long-duration energy storage and upgrading infrastructure to balance supply and demand as more variable renewables come online.
3. Corporate Leadership: Driving demand for carbon-free power through innovative Power Purchase Agreements and data-driven procurement strategies.

With the right policy mix, the report concludes, APAC nations can meet growing corporate demand while delivering on decarbonisation targets.

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