fullofquarksNov 10
Electronic Frontier Foundation
License plate readers were sold as tools for finding stolen cars, but records have shown that they're being used in abortion investigations. States must ban law enforcement from using ALPRs to investigate healthcare decisions and prohibit sharing data across state lines. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/10/flock-safety-and-texas-sheriff-claimed-license-plate-search-was-missing-person-it
Flock Safety and Texas Sheriff Claimed License Plate Search Was for a Missing Person. It Was an Abortion Investigation.

New documents and court records obtained by EFF show that Texas deputies queried Flock Safety's surveillance data in an abortion investigation, contradicting the narrative promoted by the company and the Johnson County Sheriff that she was “being searched for as a missing person,” and that “it was about her safety.” The new information shows that deputies had initiated a "death investigation" of a "non-viable fetus," collected evidence of a woman’s self-managed abortion, and consulted prosecutors about possibly charging her.

Electronic Frontier Foundation
Nov 9 at 10:03pmTypefully
Show threadColin MNov 9
@eff You mention an earlier 404 media investigation, but they've been keeping tabs on this and Flock apparently is departnering with states access -https://www.404media.co/flock-removes-states-from-national-lookup-tool-after-ice-and-abortion-searches-revealed/
Flock Removes States From National Lookup Tool After ICE and Abortion Searches Revealed

Following 404 Media’s reporting and in light of new legislation, automatic license plate reader (ALPR) company Flock has stopped agencies reaching into cameras in California, Illinois, and Virginia.

404 Media
Show threadHoward CohenNov 9

@eff I find it outrageous that they were sold to help find stolen cars, because where I live, the police are absolutely not interested in helping find your stolen car. When a car gets a ticket, there is no check to see if it's stolen. Having an airtag on your car absolutely will not result in the police using it to find your stolen car. They absolutely will not pull over a stolen car if they see it on the road. If you try to go and retrieve your stolen car, that *you* reported stolen, and the police happen to find you with the car for any reason they will not bother to find out if the car is yours.

Don't believe me? This is precisely what happened to me. I was told by the police dispatcher not to go get my own airtagged car. I was told they won't pull it over. I was told they won't use the airtag info. It too the police *six days* to recover my car, which was actually my work van, and all my tools had been stolen and the van totaled.

I can't have a van with tools in Oakland.

Show threadKaitoNov 10
@eff wow Louis Rossmann was right on the money