Police are using surveillance tech to stalk love interests. Dystopia, here we come | Arwa Mahdawi
The tech company Flock operates a vast network of over 80,000 automated license plate readers across the US, primarily used by law enforcement. A report reveals that some police officers have misused Flock's system to stalk romantic interests, including ex-partners and strangers. Civil liberties groups warn of widespread privacy risks due to weak oversight and the ease of accessing sensitive location data without warrants.
- ▪Flock operates more than 80,000 automated license plate reader cameras across the United States.
- ▪An investigation found at least 14 cases of police officers using Flock data to stalk romantic interests, though the actual number may be higher.
- ▪The ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation have raised concerns about warrantless surveillance and data sharing with federal agencies like ICE.
- ▪Some police departments used Flock data to monitor activist groups and protests without obtaining search warrants.
- ▪A Texas sheriff’s office used ALPR data to track a woman suspected of self-managing an abortion, searching across 6,809 camera networks.
- ▪Flock’s system allows officers to access sensitive location data by simply entering a reason into a text field, without judicial oversight.
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‘What makes Flock alarming is the scale of its surveillance network.’ Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreen‘What makes Flock alarming is the scale of its surveillance network.’ Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty ImagesOpinionTechnologyPolice are using surveillance tech to stalk love interests. Dystopia, here we comeArwa MahdawiThe tech company Flock has 80,000 cameras across the US – and a report finds some officers are taking advantageSat 2 May 2026 09.00 EDTShareWho would you rate as the world’s most unlikeable tech tycoon? Elon Musk is obviously a major contender. The digital warlord Palmer Luckey is also up there.While there’s a lot of competition, Garret Langley also deserves a shoutout.
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