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Cops Search Thousands of Flock Cameras for Reasons of ‘LMAO,’ ‘IDK,’ ‘Hehe,’ and ‘asdfg’
The gist
EFF analysis found police logged reasons like "LMAO" and "idk" to search Flock's license plate cameras.
The findings raise questions about oversight of a rapidly expanding surveillance system.
How it unfolded
- 2023 through late 2025Police departments across the country ran searches during this period, when Flock changed how the "reason" box in its search system functions.
- Mar 2024 to May 2026Barberton Police Department (Ohio) employees ran numerous searches listing "LOL" or "lol" as the reason.
- Nov 2024Richmond Police Department (Calif.) employees ran multiple searches for "Hehe".