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Giannoulias: Audit shows Illinois license plate data shared with US Customs, violating state law

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• Illinois

* AP…

One of the nation’s leading operators of automated license-plate reading systems announced Monday it has paused its operations with federal agencies because of confusion and concern — including in Illinois — about the purpose of their investigations.

Flock Safety, whose cameras are mounted in more than 4,000 communities nationwide, put a hold last week on pilot programs with the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection and its law enforcement arm, Homeland Security Investigations, according to a statement by its founder and CEO, Garrett Langley.

Among officials in other jurisdictions, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias raised concerns. He announced Monday that an audit found Customs and Border Protection had accessed Illinois data, although he didn’t say that the agency was seeking immigration-related information. A 2023 law the Democrat pushed bars sharing license plate data with police investigating out-of-state abortions or undocumented immigrants. […]

The revelation comes two months after Giannoulias announced that police in the Chicago suburb of Mount Prospect had shared data with a Texas sheriff who was seeking a missing woman. The woman’s family was worried because she had undergone a self-administered abortion.

* WTVO…

Giannoulias said he then ordered the company to shut off the government’s access to Illinois’ cameras.

“This sharing of license plate data of motorists who drive on Illinois roads is a clear violation of the state law. This law, passed two years ago, aimed to strengthen how data is shared and prevent this exact thing from happening,” Giannoulias said. “I take my responsibility as Secretary of State seriously. It’s why we spearheaded this legislation, which now gives us the tools needed to hold Flock accountable for its actions.”

Giannoulias said the audit of 12 local law enforcement agencies showed that Flock did not have restrictions in place for data sharing and was running a pilot program with CBP.

* WMBD…

It wasn’t immediately clear if any agencies within Central Illinois were found to be sharing such information. Hannah Blatt, an office spokeswoman, said “this is an ongoing investigation, and we can’t comment further on the 12 local law enforcement agencies who participated in the sample audit.” […]

The Secretary of State also called upon local police to look into their agreements with Flock and make sure they don’t violate the state’s Trust Act, which restricts local law enforcement in Illinois with collaborating with federal authorities

In addition, Giannoulias called on local police departments to re-examine their agreements with Flock and what access they grant law enforcement to their license plate cameras to ensure they do not violate the state’s Trust Act, which restricts local law enforcement in Illinois from collaborating with federal authorities on immigration enforcement without a court warrant.

* More…

* 404 Media | CBP Had Access to More than 80,000 Flock AI Cameras Nationwide: According to data obtained from the Boulder, Colorado Police Department by William Freeman, the creator of a crowdsourced map of Flock devices called DeFlock, CBP ran at least 118 Flock network searches between May 13 and June 13 of this year. Each of these searches encompassed at least 6,315 individual Flock networks (a “network” is a specific police department or city’s cameras) and at least 82,000 individual Flock devices. Data obtained in separate requests from the Prosser Police Department and Chehalis Police Department, both in Washington state, also show CBP searching a huge number of networks and devices.

* VPM | The feds’ hidden immigration weapon: Virginia’s surveillance network: At least five Virginia counties shared data collected by Flock Safety automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) with federal authorities for immigration enforcement, despite prohibitions against using the surveillance for such operations, according to law enforcement logs. About 50 immigration-related enforcement searches were conducted in Flock data in Fairfax, Chesterfield, Isle of Wight, Loudoun and Stafford counties between June 2024 and April 2025, according to an analysis of the logs. Law enforcement agencies create logs of searches for license plate and vehicle data collected by the Flock Safety cameras.

* Courier Press | Evansville’s AI-powered license plate cameras tapped for immigration enforcement: A Courier & Press analysis of law enforcement data shows that officers in Florida, Texas and other jurisdictions far afield from the Tri-State repeatedly queried the artificial intelligence-powered Flock Safety cameras operated by the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office for immigration-related investigations through a nationwide data-sharing program. In response to questions about the practice, Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson and Evansville Chief of Police Phil Smith said their agencies would not restrict outside jurisdictions’ access to local license plate camera data, citing a need to fight cross-jurisdictional crime. The technology-focused outlet 404 Media first reported on Flock Safety cameras’ use by immigration investigators in May.

posted by Isabel Miller
Tuesday, Aug 26, 25 @ 9:05 am

Comments

1. I’d be curious to know which 12 agencies were included in the audit.

   I’d also like to see a yearly audit as being a requirement for these systems in every jurisdiction where they are installed.

   From day one I haven’t trusted the local jurisdictions with the ability to restrict the data being gathered. Especially with the rather unique way these cameras are being rolled out locally as ‘gifts’ presented from the local states attorney.

   https://willcountysao.com/2022/11/glasgow-donates-5000-to-shorewood-for-flock-safety-cameras-to-protect-community/

   Comment by TheInvisibleMan Tuesday, Aug 26, 25 @ 9:24 am

2. = I’d be curious to know which 12 agencies were included in the audit. =

   Same. A quick search shows State Police has a $50k contract with them. IDNR and Attorney General have also vouchered payments to them in FY25 and the past month via FY26.

   Comment by Dirty Red Tuesday, Aug 26, 25 @ 10:17 am

3. feels like I predicted this crap when I read the privacy policy of the company and pointed out all loopholes and the total lack of a deletion regime

   Comment by Suburban Mom Tuesday, Aug 26, 25 @ 10:40 am

4. ==the total lack of a deletion regime==

   No flock license plate data is available after 30 days. Every license detection is deleted in 30 days.

   This is not a law enforcement policy or compliance decision. It is a business decision most likely based on the cost of server space.

   All license plate data collected by law enforcement that I am aware of automaically purges after 365 days, usually much sooner.

   Comment by Occasionally Moderated Tuesday, Aug 26, 25 @ 12:42 pm

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