Hey Ulta: Mass surveillance isn’t pretty

Kecia Steelman, Ulta CEO

Women deserve real safety, not a mass surveillance tool that puts us at even greater risk. That’s why we were shocked to learn that Ulta Beauty--a company run by women and built on the spending power of women--is one of Flock’s BIGGEST commercial customers. This means that even a quick trip to Ulta for mascara or moisturizer could mean our license plates scanned and our movements tracked by a massive surveillance system.

We are reaching the point of no return. If we do not win this fight against companies like Flock deploying automatic license plate readers (ALPRs), our right to privacy could be threatened or effectively eliminated for generations to come.

Ulta might say these cameras are to prevent shoplifting and keep customers “safe”, but we know that is not the full truth: Ulta wants to keep its profits safe, full stop, clearly no matter what the cost might be for its majority-women customers. We know the risks are real: people are already being regularly harmed by these cameras, and because nobody likes being tracked--especially without consent.

We want to love Ulta, and we want its leadership--starting with CEO Kecia Steelman--to do the right thing. Please join us in demanding that Ulta stand by women and allies by dropping Flock NOW.

To: Kecia Steelman, Ulta CEO
From: [Your Name]

As a group of women and allies, we are terrified that Ulta Beauty is one of Flock Safety’s biggest commercial customers. The negative impacts of Flock’s mass surveillance system are staggering, particularly at this unprecedented moment in our country’s history, in which people across the U.S. — namely women seeking reproductive healthcare, immigrants, protesters, journalists, and people simply looking out for their neighbors' safety — are increasingly being monitored and attacked by federal agents and other bad actors. 

Flock’s dystopian license plate readers are supplying the data needed to carry out these attacks. And that’s not all: these systems are often wrong and are regularly used to stalk women. It’s estimated that one in 10 license plates scanned by Flock automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) get the state wrong, and there are countless reports of law enforcement agents misusing Flock databases to stalk women, including ex-partners. 

Women are disproportionately at risk of violence and deserve safety. But it’s clear that this massive network of surveillance cameras is meant to monitor, control, and punish us, rather than actually keep us safe. That’s why we feel betrayed: Ulta’s contracts with Flock are about saving Ulta money, not about protecting women customers. As a coalition of women and allies, including Ulta customers, we demand that Ulta sever all ties with Flock and immediately shut off Flock cameras in Ulta parking lots. Doing so is essential to actually protect your customers against warrantless surveillance — especially your women customers that make up the vast majority of your shoppers.