Flock Safety admits license plate cameras can track abortion seekers

Police in states where abortion is banned can search a license plate database to track women who travel to other states for reproductive care, according to the New York Post. Trevor Chandler, senior director of public affairs for Flock Safety, disclosed the capability during a presentation to Suffolk County lawmakers on Long Island earlier this month. [1]

Chandler conceded during his presentation that the company cameras can help law enforcement reconstruct the movements of individuals. The New York Post reported that the revelation came as lawmakers examined how surveillance technology operates across state lines. [1]

The privacy admissions follow recent legal challenges involving the company technology. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Federal Judge Sara Hill in Oklahoma ruled that a Tulsa sheriff deputy violated the Fourth Amendment by searching the Flock license plate database without a warrant. Flock Safety carries out more than 20 billion vehicle scans across 49 states every month. [4][5]

Concerns over widespread surveillance have drawn legislative scrutiny at the national level. As FTMQ News previously reported, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a bill to ban federal license plate readers following public backlash over the technology. [4][5]