A leak of San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) drone footage exposed the city’s real‑time surveillance practices. Security researchers Sam Curry and Maik Robert discovered that the SFPD was broadcasting live feeds from five Skydio drones, including color and thermal imaging, telemetry logs, and pilot contact details, to anyone who found a public web address. The leak, which persisted for about 48 hours in mid‑June, captured dozens of police operations—arrests, building checks, and street surveillance—over roughly three hours of aerial video.

The footage showed police converging on a suspect near a McDonald’s, using drones to track movements from multiple angles, and photographing apartments and alleyways. Analysis of 20 flights revealed that the drones recorded hundreds of people and vehicles across 44 miles. The SFPD’s program, launched in 2024, had expanded from six to 98 drones, logging more than 1,400 launches by March 2026.

The SFPD denied wrongdoing, citing an "internal restricted link" that was improperly accessed. Skydio, headquartered in San Mateo, did not respond. The incident raises privacy concerns about public access to police drone data and the adequacy of sharing protocols.