Digital Docket: August 2, 2026

Our Take

Dr. Will is doing the work of translating a dense Washington Post investigation into something people can actually digest, and the core finding deserves every bit of attention it's getting: officers with access to Flock's nationwide camera network aren't just using it for warrants and stolen vehicles. They're using it to track exes, run personal favors, and poke around in places that have nothing to do with public safety. That's not a hypothetical risk critics dreamed up — it's documented misuse, coming from the people who are supposed to be trusted with the keys.

This is the same pattern we've flagged over and over: Flock sells departments on 'community safety,' quietly builds a searchable log of everywhere your car has been, and then leaves audit and accountability as an afterthought. A camera network with lax internal controls isn't a tool that occasionally gets abused — it's a surveillance system where abuse is the predictable outcome once enough people have login credentials and no one's really checking. The Post's reporting is exactly the kind of independent scrutiny this technology has needed since day one, and it's good to see it getting amplified.

If you want to see whether Flock or similar ALPR cameras are already logging your plate, check our camera map, and if you're ready to push back on this rollout in your own town, our take-action page has concrete next steps.