Georgia man sues Flock, sheriff's office over alleged ALPR-fueled retaliation

In August 2026, Flock announced it would change its software and require “case codes for all law enforcement searches by the end of the year” as a way to mitigate these abuses. The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office began its own audit of the system that same month, and the complaint notes that “three employees had resigned before the audit was completed.”

“What’s really troubling is when that type of surveillance is available, so that the police can do Fourth Amendment-implicated searches without any controls,” Chris Hall, one of Murkerson’s attorneys, told Ars. “For us, it’s not the privacy of taking photographs of your license plate. This is focused on illegal activity and what we allege is that they did violate Georgia law and violate the Fourth Amendment—because it’s a search and surveillance put on somebody.”

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Flock has been under increased scrutiny, with hundreds of law enforcement agencies dropping the company recently, largely because of a backlash over overbroad and unwanted surveillance.

Brian Hofer, the chair of Secure Justice, a California-based organization that has scrutinized the use of Flock and other surveillance technologies, said he’s unaware of another lawsuit of this type. But, he added, it matters what agencies actually do compared to what they say they do.

“Over the years, a number of law enforcement agents have told me that ‘culture eats policy for lunch,’” he emailed Ars. “I think this lawsuit is another example of why guardrails don’t work, analogous to the Trump administration disregarding court orders and the law in general. The remedy is to prohibit use of the technology, at least until the culture of policing changes for the better.”

Flock responded to our request for comment with a short statement. “Flock stands by the integrity of its technology and the important role it plays in helping law enforcement solve crimes, find missing people, and keep communities safe,” a spokesperson said. “We disagree with the claims raised in this lawsuit and intend to vigorously defend our position in court.”

Coweta County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Ars’ request for comment.