releases: https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-schiff-press-flock-ceo-for-answers-on-troubling-abuse-of-technology-amid-surveillance-network-concerns-push-to-protect-americans-privacy
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
This data as json
| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-schiff-press-flock-ceo-for-answers-on-troubling-abuse-of-technology-amid-surveillance-network-concerns-push-to-protect-americans-privacy | Wyden, Schiff Press Flock CEO for Answers on Troubling Abuse of Technology Amid Surveillance Network Concerns, Push to Protect Americans’ Privacy | 2026-09-17 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | Senate | OR | Ron Wyden | W000779 | www.wyden.senate.gov | wyden | https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said today they are pressing Flock for information regarding allegations of abuse of its surveillance platforms and whether its existing protocols are failing to protect Americans’ privacy. The inquiry follows increasingly troubling and documented reports of law enforcement officials abusing Flock’s nationwide license plate readers, camera network and sensors to carry out extensive, unauthorized surveillance. “Despite a professed public commitment to responsible governance, Flock has repeatedly failed to implement the safeguards necessary to protect Americans’ civil liberties,” Wyden and Schiff wrote Flock CEO Garrett Langley. Multiple organizations and news reporting have revealed alarming concerns of unauthorized surveillance by Flock cameras. Organizations have come forward to express concern that states restricting reproductive health care access are using Flock data to track down patients traveling to other states for care while other reports indicate Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are conducting immigration-related searches of Flock databases to pursue individuals without warrants. An analysis of police and court reports by The Washington Post revealed that at least 50 law enforcement officers have been charged or accused of misusing Flock’s surveillance system for unauthorized purposes. In their inquiry, the senators express concern over how Flock has repeatedly failed to implement the safeguards necessary to protect Americans’ civil liberties and demand answers on how the company is protecting against misuse by law enforcement and others, as well as its compliance with existing privacy laws. They also direct Flock to preserve all records between the company, employees, consultants, and state, local, and federal agents regarding Flock cameras. Wyden has been a staunch advocate for privacy rights and holding Flock accountable. In October 2025, Wyden questioned Flock regarding its massive license plate recognition network and data-sharing practices. He criticized the company for misleading local law enforcement customers and enabling the sharing of sensitive vehicle tracking data with federal immigration authorities or out-of-state agencies enforcing anti-abortion laws. Wyden also slammed the platform's ineffective safeguards, noting that officers could easily bypass accountability by sharing passwords or entering generic, meaningless reasons for data searches. Following his initial investigation, Wyden urged the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Flock and hold the company responsible for negligent cybersecurity practices such as failing to require multi-factor authentication leaving millions of Americans' personal data vulnerable to hackers. | 1 | 2026-09-18T09:27:43Z | 2026-09-18T09:29:09Z |