{
  "id": 6408767,
  "title": "Cops Are Using Flock to Spy on People for the Crime of Standing Around",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/cops-are-using-flock-to-spy-on-people-for-the-crime-of-standing-around-6408767",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Intercept",
    "slug": "the-intercept-theintercept",
    "url": "https://theintercept.com/2026/09/09/flock-cameras-police-loitering-curfew-surveillance/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Flock Security markets its nationwide network of cameras and license plate scanners as a public safety enhancement. However, police are using the technology to target minor infractions like curfew violations, loitering, and homelessness. Records obtained from the Plano, Illinois police department show that law enforcement agencies have tapped into Flock cameras in that town more than 1,200 times while investigating \"Curfew/Loitering/Vagrancy Violations.\" Similar searches have occurred in other states, including Georgia and Tennessee. The Plano searches were conducted by police departments in neighboring states and a Georgia town over 600 miles away. Many of these searches were for specific license plate searches or surveilling people on foot for simply standing suspiciously. Flock did not respond to requests for comment. The use of Flock's technology for such minor offenses raises concerns about surveillance mission creep and the potential for abuse, especially given the history of loitering and vagrancy laws criminalizing mundane behaviors, often targeting Black Americans.",
  "summary": "Police scanned Flock cameras in a single town in Illinois more than 1,200 times to investigate cases of loitering. The post Cops Are Using Flock to Spy on People for the Crime of Standing Around appeared first on The Intercept .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}