Experts say Flock “can’t tech its way out” of the stalker cop problem, despite new case number requirements for searches. Senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Saira Hussain, told SFGate that cops could easily lie about case numbers to stalk romantic partners without triggering audits. “That’s a significant concern, and I don’t think you, as Flock, are going to be able to tech your way out of it,” Hussain said.

The ACLU agreed, calling the case number requirement a previously optional feature rolled out in July 2025 that “seems to do little to prevent police abuse” when cops can manipulate numbers. The ACLU accused Flock of “a thinly veiled PR attempt” with hollow security promises, rather than earnest fixes.

Flock cameras are in every state but Alaska, used by 7,000 law enforcement agencies — about 40 percent of all US police departments. The ACLU noted similar privacy concerns exist for competitors’ automated license plate readers.

“Until Flock demonstrates they can develop a reliable, workable system to prevent improper searches, this promise of local control provides nothing more than a false sense of security,” the ACLU said.