Federal judge rules warrantless Flock license plate search unconstitutional

A federal judge ruled that a Tulsa, Oklahoma sheriff deputy violated a woman's Fourth Amendment rights by using Flock Safety to search her license plate without a warrant. TechCrunch and 404 Media both reported that Judge Sara Hill declared the search unconstitutional. TechCrunch reported that while the ruling does not create a binding precedent, it is one of the first rulings of its kind regarding Flock. [1][4]

According to TechCrunch, Judge Hill stated that the deputy should have obtained a warrant before searching the database. Law Commentary reported that the officer searched the system after following the woman over her California license plate. Judge Hill wrote that the nationwide network of Flock is quickly approaching a dragnet-type law enforcement practice, according to 404 Media. [1][4][5]

In response to automated surveillance concerns, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a bill to ban license plate readers. TechSpot, Mashable, and Nacionale News reported that the proposed legislation aims to ban federal use of Flock. [6][7][8]

Mass surveillance in the United States entails pervasive surveillance of virtually all communications. The practice dates back to wartime monitoring and censorship of international communications. [9]