Police Stalked Exes Using License Plate Readers

Our Take

Deep Web Facts dropped a quick-hit video on a problem we've flagged for years: license plate readers aren't just catching stolen cars, they're letting badge-holders play stalker. When an officer can punch a plate into a statewide or even national database and pull weeks of someone's movements, the line between 'law enforcement tool' and 'personal surveillance weapon' gets thin fast — especially when the target is an ex.

This isn't a hypothetical edge case. It's the predictable outcome of building mass location-tracking infrastructure first and bolting on oversight later, if at all. Flock Safety and similar vendors love to tout audit logs and 'misuse policies,' but those only matter if departments actually enforce them and the public ever finds out when they don't. Most of the time, these stories surface through lawsuits, leaks, or local reporters digging — not because the system caught itself.

Credit to Deep Web Facts for putting this in front of a wider audience; it's the kind of story that should make every city council weighing a Flock contract ask who watches the watchers. If you want to see how dense this camera network already is near you, check our map, and if you'd rather your town not hand out this kind of power without guardrails, our take-action page has next steps.