A Georgia Cop Used a Nationwide Camera Network to Stalk His Ex
The short version: PickBits recaps Wired's reporting on a Georgia officer who allegedly abused Flock's nationwide ALPR network to track an ex-partner's movements.
Our Take
This is the story Flock Safety doesn't want going viral, and credit to PickBits for pulling the Wired reporting into something watchable. A cop with a badge and a login didn't need a warrant, a subpoena, or even a decent excuse — just access to a system that was sold to city councils as a tool for catching stolen cars and Amber Alerts. Instead it became a way to watch one person's every move.
Flock and police departments love to say "it's just plate numbers, it's not surveillance." But plate numbers tied to timestamps and GPS coordinates across thousands of cameras is a location-tracking system, full stop. The audit logs that are supposed to catch this kind of abuse only work if someone actually reviews them, and in case after case nationwide, nobody does until a journalist or a defense attorney forces the issue. One bad actor with a password is all it takes — the network doesn't care whether the person logging in is chasing a warrant or an ex.
This is exactly why we built the map — so people can see how dense this coverage already is in their own town before the next misuse story breaks locally. If your city is still debating a Flock contract, this video is Exhibit A for what "officer discretion" actually looks like in practice. Check take action for how to push your council on audit requirements and public logs before you're the next case file.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of PickBits, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.