TL;DR
Video analytics has taken a reputational hit this year, largely due to backlash against Flock Safety’s license plate readers and growing public concern over government surveillance. But not all camera-based technology works the same way. Secom AWARE is a private security platform, deployed only at a business’s request, for purposes that business chooses — not a public surveillance network. The difference isn’t just public vs. private ownership; it’s that Secom AWARE is designed for targeted, purposeful use, not blanket data collection.
Crowds aren’t, er, flocking to certain video analytics tools anymore.
In fact, the tech has come under some intense scrutiny and fire over the past year. Much of the commotion has centered on Flock Safety, whose automatic license plate readers are used by police departments and municipalities across the country.
Since the start of 2026, roughly 23 city councils have voted to cancel, decline, or deactivate Flock’s license plate readers, with concerns about privacy and how that data might be accessed by outside agencies driving much of the debate. The backlash has been swift — and, in many cases, fair. When surveillance technology collects data on the public without their knowledge or consent, skepticism is warranted.
But the video analytics trust conversation has created a kind of blind spot. Not all camera-based intelligence works the same way, and lumping every system into one category — “surveillance” or “video analytics”— misses a distinction that truly matters. Namely, who the technology serves, and who decides how it’s used.
Public Infrastructure vs. Private Security
The systems drawing the most scrutiny right now share a few things in common. They’re typically operated by a government entity, deployed on public roadways or in public spaces, and designed to collect data on just about anyone who passes by, regardless of whether that person is a criminal, a customer, a suspect, or just someone on their way home. The data collected often flows to multiple agencies, with limited visibility for the public into how it’s stored, shared, or used.
Secom AWARE operates in a fundamentally different context. It’s a private security platform, built on the AXIS camera system with intelligence layered on top, and it’s deployed only at the request of the business or facility that owns it.
With Secom AWARE, there’s no public roadway monitoring, no blanket data collection, and no use case that isn’t deliberately chosen by the client it serves.
That distinction is far from a technicality. It’s the difference between infrastructure imposed on the public and a tool a business chooses to use on its own property, for its own operational needs.
What About Facial Recognition and Tracking?
These are the two features that tend to generate the most concern when it comes to video analytics and trust. It’s worth addressing them directly.
Yes, Secom AWARE can support facial recognition. Honestly, most clients don’t use it. For those who do, it’s typically deployed narrowly — controlling access to a specific space where the stakes are high enough to justify it, such as secure facilities or restricted areas.
The same is true of tracking people, vehicles, and/or behavior. This isn’t a default, out-of-the-box setting. It’s a capability a client can choose to enable, and many do so for reasons unrelated to surveillance as the term is usually used.
A manufacturing facility governed by OSHA standards might want visibility into whether an employee appears impaired on the production floor — a safety issue, not a privacy overreach. A high-security site might need to know exactly where people and vehicles are at any given moment, because in that environment, that knowledge can be the difference between a close call and a serious incident.
In both cases, technology isn’t doing something to people. It’s giving an organization the information it needs to keep the people in its care safe.
The Real Differentiator? The People in Control
Strip away the specific features, and the actual difference boils down to control. Public surveillance systems are typically imposed. Residents don’t opt in and often have limited insight into how their data is used once it’s collected. Secom AWARE works the opposite way. Clients decide what capabilities to activate, for what purpose, and for how long. Nothing runs by default. Nothing is collected “just in case.”
That’s not to say private ownership alone is an end-all, be-all safeguard. The organizations that deploy Secom AWARE aren’t looking to capture everyone and everything, either — that’s not what the technology was designed for, and it’s not how it gets used in practice.
As mentioned, most Secom AWARE deployments are narrow by design: a specific entry point, a specific zone, a specific question an organization needs answered. Recording every person who walks by, indefinitely, with no clear purpose, isn’t just unnecessary; it’s the kind of undifferentiated data collection that creates real liability, without giving an organization anything useful in return.
The businesses and facilities we work with have jobs to do: keep employees safe, protect assets, meet security and compliance requirements. Comprehensive, unfocused surveillance doesn’t serve them well. Targeted, purposeful intelligence does. That’s the version of this technology Secom AWARE is built to deliver.
That distinction is easy to lose in a national conversation that treats all camera-based technology as one thing. But it’s the distinction that matters — not just for how such technology performs, but for those who oversee it.
As this conversation continues to evolve, understanding that difference will only become more critical. Technology isn’t inherently good or bad. How it’s deployed (and by whom) is what determines that. Secom AWARE was built with that principle in mind from the start.
Want to know more about how Secom AWARE works, and whether it’s the right fit for your organization? Get in touch with our team.
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FAQs
Is Secom AWARE the same as Flock Safety’s license plate readers?
No. Flock’s ALPR systems are typically deployed by government entities on public roads to monitor vehicles at scale. Secom AWARE is a private security platform deployed by individual businesses and facilities, only for the specific purposes they choose.
Does Secom AWARE use facial recognition?
It can, if a client’s use case calls for it — but most clients don’t use this feature. When it is used, it’s typically for controlling access to a specific, sensitive space.
Can Secom AWARE track people or vehicles?
Yes, but only if a client chooses to enable that capability. It’s commonly used for safety purposes, such as identifying irregular behavior on a manufacturing floor, or for security purposes at high-risk facilities.
Does Secom AWARE collect data on the general public?
No. Secom AWARE is deployed on private property, at a business’s request, for a defined purpose. It does not monitor public roadways or collect data indiscriminately.