From Chicago Sun-Times · · 2m
Judicial tide may be turning against indiscriminate Flock mass surveillance
Federal judge rules Flock license plate readers enable unconstitutional mass surveillance.
In brief
Federal judge rules Flock license plate readers enable unconstitutional mass surveillance. A federal judge in Oklahoma says police need warrants to search license plate reader data, challenging widespread use of AI cameras for mass surveillance. Originally reported by Chicago Sun-Times.
Judicial tide may be turning
Federal judge presses point that police perusal of traveling histories on demand can be constitutionally problematic.
“Federal judge presses the point that police perusal of our traveling histories on demand can be constitutionally problematic”
144,000 Flock cameras nationwide
A nationwide network of more than 144,000 artificial intelligence-assisted cameras tracks innocent motorists billions of times each week.
Flock Safety
State and federal courts have almost uniformly rejected constitutional challenges to automated license plate readers installed by companies such as Flock Safety.
Oklahoma federal judge
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill concluded this month that Flock cameras enable indiscriminate mass surveillance.
Supreme Court precedent
In 1983, Supreme Court declared no reasonable expectation of privacy in movements from one place to another.
Modern surveillance
Three decades later, courts say GPS tracking impinges on reasonable expectations of privacy by revealing sensitive historical whereabouts.
Cellphone privacy
Supreme Court extended privacy protections to cell phone location data in recent decisions.
Flock cameras
Flock license plate readers track all vehicles passing by network-connected cameras on demand.
Oklahoma ruling
Judge Hill says freedom from persistent surveillance is a reasonable expectation in society.
Outlier ruling
Hill’s decision is an outlier as nearly every court has rejected constitutional challenges to Flock cameras.
California cases
Last month, California federal judge held Flock database searches are less extensive than cellphone location data.
San Jose case
California state judge rejected challenge to San Jose’s Flock camera network.
Pending lawsuits
Flock cameras face lawsuits in Wichita, Kansas and Norfolk, Virginia.
What happens next
More judges may recognize perils of indiscriminate mass surveillance as Flock cameras multiply.
Here's the gist
A federal judge in Oklahoma says police need warrants to search license plate reader data, challenging widespread use of AI cameras for mass surveillance.
