Police in Wisconsin leveraged Flock license plate reader data to track a man’s travel between Wisconsin and Michigan, using his trips to a state where marijuana is legal as probable cause to search his vehicle. This surveillance led to his arrest for marijuana possession. The case highlights concerns about how Flock technology can be used to create pretexts for searches and enforce minor offenses, potentially expanding surveillance beyond its intended scope.
In Michigan, a cannabis dispensary faced pressure from the city to install a Flock camera in its parking lot, requiring continuous monitoring and data access for police, illustrating how these systems can be mandated as a condition of business licensing. Flock executives, meanwhile, promote the technology’s use in rescuing abducted children, framing their mission around this critical application.