Experts: Flock can't tech its way out of the stalker cop problem

Experts warn that the automatic license plate recognition company Flock cannot rely on technical fixes to end police stalking. To address the so-called "stalker cop" issue, Flock recently began requiring case numbers for searches. But Saira Hussain, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told SFGate that officers can easily get around this rule without triggering the company's audit tools. She said a motivated bad actor could simply enter any case number and continue searching for romantic partners without being suspended. She described this as a significant concern and said Flock may not be able to solve it through technology.

The ACLU was also doubtful. It noted that the case number feature had been optional since July 2025 and appeared to do little to stop abuse, since officers can manipulate the numbers. Making an ineffective voluntary measure mandatory will not improve how it works, the group said.

Flock cameras are currently installed in every state except Alaska, and about 7,000 law enforcement agencies use them. That amounts to roughly 40 percent of all US police departments. The ACLU added that the same privacy worries apply to competing automated license plate readers, which are being adopted where Flock is not present.

The group accused Flock of trying to distract from real privacy concerns with what it called a "thinly veiled PR attempt." It said the company's security promises are largely hollow. Citing a database compiled by the Institute for Justice that tracks Flock misuse and stalking, the ACLU said serious questions still remain about how officers use the data and whether Flock or police agencies are willing to stop abuse. Until a reliable, workable system is demonstrated, the company's promise of local control gives the public a false sense of security, the ACLU said.