Judge Rules Flock License Plate Search Violated Fourth Amendment
A federal judge in Oklahoma found that a warrantless Flock database search violated a woman's Fourth Amendment rights and called the network indiscriminate mass surveillance.
A federal judge in Oklahoma ruled that a police officer violated a woman's Fourth Amendment rights by searching her license plate in Flock's database without probable cause or a warrant, according to techradar.com.
Judge Sara Hill described Flock Safety's license plate camera network as a type of indiscriminate mass surveillance. She rejected prior judicial opinions holding that the network does not breach the Fourth Amendment because its footage is captured in public places.
The case involved a woman with California license plates who was pulled over in Oklahoma. The officer found 91 pounds of methamphetamine in her vehicle.
404 Media reported that over 100,000 warrantless license plate searches are made in Flock's systems every month. Hill's decision is not binding.
Earlier ALPR challenges
A similar decision held that traffic stops made by the US Border Patrol using ALPR camera data were unconstitutional. Michael Soyfer, a lawyer at the Institute for Justice, said courts previously resolved these cases too myopically.
Quick answers
What did the judge rule about Flock's license plate network?
Judge Sara Hill ruled that a police officer violated a woman's Fourth Amendment rights by searching her plate in Flock's database without probable cause or a warrant, and described the network as indiscriminate mass surveillance.
Is the ruling binding?
No. Hill's decision is not binding.