A regular constabulary hunt mightiness impact looking for a stolen car aliases a wanted suspect. But 1 officer's logic for searching a immense web of automated licence sheet readers was simply 'LMAO'.
In July 2025, an serviceman pinch the Lake County, Indiana, Sheriff's Department utilized Flock Safety's surveillance strategy to hunt for a licence sheet crossed much than 19,000 cameras covering 1,558 cities and towns. According to a grounds of the search, the logic entered was 'LMAO'.
The lawsuit was among dozens identified successful an study by the Electronic Frontier Foundation of Flock's hunt logs. The records show officers entering jokes, gibberish and different seemingly unserious position into a section intended to archive the logic for a search.
Police Searches Included 'IDK' And Gibberish
Data reviewed by the EFF included searches labelled 'LMAO', 'LOL', 'Hehe', 'Haha', 'idk' and 'blah'. Other entries included 'asdfg' and strings of apparently random keyboard characters. In 1 case, an serviceman entered: 'robbery I don't retrieve the lawsuit number time off maine alone'.
The searches identified by the EFF came from constabulary departments crossed the state betwixt 2023 and precocious 2025, erstwhile Flock changed really the logic section worked. The study besides recovered much than 6,300 searches crossed much than 30 agencies that utilized 'TBD' arsenic the stated reason.
Flock's technology uses automated licence sheet readers to cod vehicle-related accusation and let rule enforcement agencies to hunt information gathered by cameras crossed jurisdictions. The EFF says the strategy tin supply entree to delicate location accusation and has raised concerns astir the deficiency of judicial oversight surrounding ALPR searches.
Flock Changes How Officers Justify Searches
Flock changed its strategy successful precocious 2025, replacing the free-text logic section pinch a database of pre-populated categories that officers tin prime earlier searching. The EFF called the alteration a 'loss for transparency', arguing that selecting a generic class whitethorn supply little accusation astir the existent intent of a search.
The EFF besides contacted constabulary departments whose officers were identified successful its analysis. Some agencies said officers had been counselled, while others said they would analyse aliases reappraisal the searches.
The findings adhd to broader concerns astir the expanding usage of ALPR exertion and really constabulary departments oversee entree to the resulting data.
Trump Has Backed Flock Cameras
The contention comes arsenic Flock receives high-profile governmental support. President Donald Trump publically endorsed the institution during remarks to reporters connected Sunday.
'I benignant of for illustration them because of that, because of rule enforcement, but immoderate group don't,' Trump said. 'They deliberation it's an infringement,' he added. 'I for illustration them.'
According to Futurism, citing The Washington Post, the remarks marked the first clip Trump had publically endorsed Flock. The study said Flock's web had grown to much than 120,000 cameras.
The 'LMAO' introduction does not found why the serviceman searched, but it highlights a larger accountability mobility surrounding a surveillance web tin of searching conveyance information crossed thousands of communities: really overmuch oversight should beryllium required erstwhile constabulary person entree to specified a wide excavation of location information?
As these search systems proceed to grow quickly nationwide, the situation remains ensuring that powerful devices designed to drawback criminals do not move into instruments of unchecked monitoring.
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