Lawsuit Says Flock Allowed Out-of-State Agencies Access to SFPD Database 1.6 Million Times

"The problem that we allege, is that Flock is sharing this information on California drivers with out-of-state law enforcement and the federal government, which is illegal under California law. They have to be beholden to the laws they claim they are trying to enforce, just like everybody else."

"An audit by the El Cerrito Police Department verified that Flock allowed federal agencies to access the department's database without its knowledge, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the GSA Office of the Inspector General, when the cameras were first installed in June 2023 until the police department took administrative control of the system two months later."

Oakland-based law firm Gibbs Mura filed a class-action lawsuit against Flock Safety, alleging that the company's license plate readers shared information about California drivers with out-of-state agencies and federal government entities over 1.6 million times during a seven-month period. Los Altos readers reportedly shared information over a million times. An audit by El Cerrito Police Department confirmed that federal agencies including the FBI, ATF, and GSA Office of the Inspector General accessed the department's database without authorization from June to August 2023. Federal agencies gained access two additional times after safeguards were installed, including searches by the United States Postal Inspection Service. The lawsuit claims this data sharing violates California law. Flock stated it takes privacy and legal compliance seriously and intends to vigorously defend against the allegations.

Read at sfist.com