Flock Safety and Texas Sheriff Claimed License Plate Search Was for a Missing Person. It Was an Abortion Investigation.

"The new information shows that deputies had initiated a "death investigation" of a "non-viable fetus," logged evidence of a woman's self-managed abortion, and consulted prosecutors about possibly charging her. Johnson County Sheriff Adam King repeatedly denied the automated license plate reader (ALPR) search was related to enforcing Texas's abortion ban, and Flock Safety called media accounts "false," "misleading" and "clickbait.""

"The death investigation remained open for weeks, with detectives interviewing the woman and reviewing her text messages about the abortion. The documents show that the Johnson County District Attorney's Office informed deputies that "the State could not statutorily charge [her] for taking the pill to cause the abortion or miscarriage of the non-viable fetus." in May. The case serves as a clear warning sign that when data from ALPRs is shared across state lines, it can put people at risk, including abortion seekers."

"Last May, 404 Media obtained data revealing the Johnson County Sheriff's Office conducted a nationwide search of more than 83,000 Flock ALPR cameras, giving the reason in the search log: "had an abortion, search for female." Both the Sheriff's Office and Flock Safety have attempted to downplay the search as akin to a search for a missing person, deputies were only looking for the woman to "check on her welfare.""

Deputies initiated a death investigation after a report of an abortion involving a non-viable fetus and logged evidence of a woman's self-managed abortion. Investigators ran a nationwide search of more than 83,000 Flock Safety ALPR cameras with a search entry stating "had an abortion, search for female." Detectives interviewed the woman, reviewed her text messages, and collected documentation from an alleged partner who reported the incident. The county sheriff and Flock Safety denied the search targeted enforcement of abortion law. The district attorney informed deputies that the state could not statutorily charge the woman for taking abortion medication. The cross‑state sharing of ALPR data raised legal and privacy concerns.

Read at Electronic Frontier Foundation