Federal judge slams Flock surveillance as unconstitutional

The ruling stems from a traffic stop where a deputy searched the Flock database for a vehicle simply because it carried California plates. Judge Hill rejected the deputy’s subsequent discovery of 91 pounds of meth, ordering the evidence suppressed as the fruit of a poisonous tree. She noted the deputy lacked any legitimate basis for the search, highlighting the danger of allowing law enforcement to passively catalog public movements without judicial oversight.

Hill’s opinion warns that such technology creates a permanent record of travel that shifts from a useful tool to an invasive dragnet. While her decision does not establish binding precedent, it aligns with a rising tide of scrutiny against the company. Senator Bernie Sanders recently introduced the Block Flock Act to restrict federal agency access to these readers, while several jurisdictions have already moved to disconnect the cameras. Amid the mounting backlash and reports of internal staff buyouts, Flock CEO Garretty Langley has publicly sought a middle ground between public safety and individual privacy.