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San Mateo Flock Out

@sanmateoflockout.bsky.social
34 followers 29 following 161 posts

I am a long-time resident of San Mateo, CA hoping to draw attention to the city's use of ALPRs and change city and police policies to better protect residents from government surveillance. View my petition here: c.org/xNpMbhMbfb

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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
That, or they got too much deferential attention so they never learned to cope with adversity or rejection.
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Matthew Guariglia @mguariglia.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
This was only a matter of time. In a very real way, the net effect of networked license plate readers is more like putting a GPS device on a car than it is like driving past individual security cameras. And if police wanted to track you over time w/ GPS device or your phone---they'd need a warrant.
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Notably, the council is also set to vote on approving an amendment to the contract with Axon for $1.15 mil. This would bring the cumulative total with Axon to $8.5 mil. #alpr #sanmateo #surveillance
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
San Mateo! Next Monday, October 5th, ALPRs are on the city council agenda. This is an opportunity for us to comment directly to the council on the city's use of surveillance networks in our city - please plan to submit public comment. Details to follow: #alprs #sanmateo #surveillance
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Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
BREAKING: A federal judge has ruled for the first time that a Flock search was unconstitutional and violated a woman's Fourth Amendment rights. Oklahoma cop pulled over a woman and searched her in Flock "because he saw her license plate was from California" www.404media.co/federal-judg...
404media.co
Federal Judge Rules a Flock Search Was ‘Indiscriminate Mass Surveillance’ and Unconstitutional
Flock’s nationwide network is quickly “approaching dragnet-type law enforcement practice” and the cop should have got a warrant, the judge wrote.
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Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 02/10/2026
VICTORY: A lawsuit seeking to end the Trump administration's social media surveillance program will move forward. eff.org/press/relea...
eff.org
Victory! Court Rejects Government Effort to Dismiss Social Media
NEW YORK — A lawsuit filed by three labor unions against the Departments of State and Homeland Security for their viewpoint-based surveillance and suppression of protected expression online can move
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Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
the goalposts for being an effective or "efficient" person just change with tech advances so there's nothing AI is going to be able to do that is going to be like: wow, now that the robot does my tasks i have infinite time to sit by the pool
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More Perfect Union @moreperfectunion.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
BREAKING: Bernie Sanders, AOC, and Jeff Merkley are introducing the Ban Flock Act. This bill would effectively put an end to AI surveillance cameras that track Americans. /1
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Gwen C. Katz @gwenckatz.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Things Gavin Newsom has vetoed this week: -A ban on secretly recording people with smart glasses -A ban on ICE agents working for the state government -A ban on websites selling your data -A bill giving native tribes more say over water rights -A bill protecting transgender healthcare providers
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Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 02/10/2026
“Despite what Flock and other surveillance tech vendors would have you believe, more surveillance does not necessarily equal safer communities.”
wbur.org
Flock is just one part of the new surveillance state
"Flock and other companies are building an omnipresent digital dragnet without democratic consent, enabling law enforcement to track people across the country with the click of a mouse," writes Gideon...
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DeFlock Redmond @deflock-redmond.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
"Florida cops are facing questions after a mandate to remove all #Flock cameras tracking cars on St. Lucie County roads led local police to uncover more than a dozen suspicious cameras operating without permits. Of the 14 cameras found, 11 had no obvious owners" 🤯 #deflock #surveillance #alpr
arstechnica.com
Florida cops say they don't know who owns 11 unpermitted Flock cameras
Floridians alarmed by 14 mysterious Flock cameras; 11 have no clear owner.
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
If you live in San Mateo, tell council you want the City to end its surveillance of innocent people by submitting public comment at the October 5th city council meeting at 7PM. Prepare a brief statement (1-2 minutes) and attend in person or via Zoom. Thank you! #alprs #sanmateo #surveillance
cityofsanmateo.org
Agendas & Minutes Public Meeting Portal | San Mateo, CA - Official Website
The City of San Mateo's Public Meeting Portal provides access to the agendas, reports, minutes and videos of the City Council.
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The 7PM meeting raises the City's draft response to the Civil Grand Jury findings that audits of the system were improper/inadequate (item 11). The letter responds to the Jury's findings but does not address privacy and constitutional concerns raised by constituents. #alprs #sanmateo #surveillance
sanmateo.primegov.com
Meeting
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
A real-time information center pulls multiple surveillance systems together into one platform. This includes cameras, drones, ALPRs, and body cameras, and may also include private cameras shared with police. This is a massive step up from just one surveillance mode. #alprs #sanmateo #surveillance
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
There is a special meeting at 6PM during which the PD will present an overview of the Real Time Information Center. Per the City webpage the RTIC is a centralized hub that provides "real-time intelligence and camera monitoring." The PD presentation is likely to be skewed to present success stories.
sanmateo.primegov.com
Meeting
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
San Mateo! Next Monday, October 5th, ALPRs are on the city council agenda. This is an opportunity for us to comment directly to the council on the city's use of surveillance networks in our city - please plan to submit public comment. Details to follow: #alprs #sanmateo #surveillance
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The Mercury News @mercurynews.com · 01/10/2026
San Jose and San Mateo County are leading a regional push, leveraging local authority to block new detention facilities.
mercurynews.com
As ICE fears rise, San Jose expands detention facility freeze to public land
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Indybay @indybay.org · 01/10/2026
Nurses March to Demand that Palantir Stop Targeting their Patients
indybay.org
Nurses March to Demand that Palantir Stop Targeting their Patients
Over 1000 march behind banner: “Palantir Tracks – Ice Attacks” in Global Week of Action
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DeFlock Redmond @deflock-redmond.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
#ALPR abuse in #Cheektowaga! "the three dispatchers allegedly used the #Flock automated license plate reader system to search for another employee’s plate over a period of months without the employee’s knowledge" Steps have been taken to "tighten policies." 🙄 NoALPRs.com 🚫 #deflock #surveillance
wivb.com
3 Cheektowaga dispatchers suspended over Flock misuse
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Three public safety dispatchers with Cheektowaga police have been suspended after misusing the Flock system, according to the Cheektowaga Police Department. Police said…
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404 Media @404media.co · 01/10/2026
Magent Forensics, the owner of the GrayKey phone unlocking tool, says it can bypass an iPhone rebooting feature that was locking cops out.
404media.co
Cops Can Bypass iPhone’s Automatic Reboot to Get Into Locked Phones, Leaked Video Claims
Magent Forensics, the owner of the GrayKey phone unlocking tool, says it can bypass an iPhone rebooting feature that was locking cops out.
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Kentucky Public Radio @kentuckypublicradio.org · 30/09/2026
A weekend incident in which a Flock camera search led Lexington police to surround the wrong home has sparked widespread online criticism of the city’s use of the surveillance technology.
weku.org
Flock search that led Lexington police to surround wrong home intensifies debate over the tech
Resident Will Penn posted doorbell camera footage to Facebook after the incident. It's since been shared thousands of times.
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Car Lite San Mateo @carlitesanmateo.com · 30/09/2026
The first protected intersection I know of in San Mateo is out to bid this morning! It connects to unprotected lanes and sharrows for now, but it's a good step. The intersection has a stop sign today, so it's promising to see the city use a signal upgrade project to add quality bike infrastructure.
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The *constant* need to defend our privacy from these goons has me spitting mad. From the article: "USPS will partner with Next Base, a dashcam company, for the pilot. At the moment, the cameras will be used in the Washington, DC area, and will be installed on [100] vehicles."
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
People who generically trust the police to act honorably are under the illusion they won't be targeted because they've done nothing wrong. The rest of us know better. The introduction of powerful surveillance tools super-charges everything that is wrong with policing in this country.
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
A friend recently asked me, somewhat incredulously, what my problem is with ALPRs. My answer: it makes me guilty before I've even come under suspicion of having committed a crime. Police should not have access to tools that exacerbate existing tendencies to abuse their power.
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Limiting surveillance data retention to 30 days is still surveillance. 30 days is still too long for innocent people to be at risk of scrutiny by the police without having committed any crime.
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Caltrain @caltrain.com · 30/09/2026
Good morning! We know National Coffee Day was yesterday but we wanted to celebrate with you today to close out Transit Month.🥹 We will be at 4th and King, San Mateo, and Palo Alto stations this morning thanking our riders with stickers and coffee. While supplies last.♥️
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"Sorry, your [job/benefits/etc] application is declined because your [disease/neurotype/etc] makes you ineligible to live."
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NACDL @nacdl.org · 29/09/2026
VIDIZMO advertises tools that name people on live camera feeds, match faces to watchlists, and flag "behavior." Its CEO says the Flock integration is not built yet. He also says the company "would love to do the integration."
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NACDL @nacdl.org · 29/09/2026
This is the lesson of the ALPR debate. A vendor's promise is not a safeguard. Once a mass surveillance network exists, other companies build on top of it. Only law and judicial oversight set real limits.
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Also: "racial and gender analysis" - do these people even hear themselves?
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
We really do not want police to have tech that performs "behavior prediction."
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"VIDIZMO is advertising the capability to export footage from FlockOS to its own platforms that do facial recognition, behavior prediction, and racial and gender analysis on live camera feeds." What could go wrong?
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Chris Ingraham @cingraham.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Earlier this evening a federal jury struck down a brazenly unconstitutional traffic stop scheme "that turned mass surveillance of American drivers into a pipeline of pretextual traffic stops and unconstitutional searches." ij.org/press-releas...
The unconstitutional program ran in five steps: First, surveillance cameras across the state and country recorded license plates and logged when and where cars went. Second, analysts and anonymous tipsters flagged ordinary travel, like driving toward the border and back, as suspicious. Third, Bexar County sheriff’s deputies invented a traffic violation to justify pulling over the flagged driver. Fourth, deputies pulled drivers into their front seats, interrogated them and asked consent to search their car. Finally, fifth, if the driver refused to consent to a search, a K-9 alert from a manipulated dog supplied the probable cause to search anyway. This practice happened for four years to countless motorists.
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rom comrade @savasavasava.myatproto.social · 29/09/2026
I think ironically, and perhaps a tad optimistically, we are going to go back to seeking out knowledge and experience from our communities and our elders because the internet as it is now has made it near impossible to find real info.
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Tyler King @tyleraking.com · 29/09/2026
It ALMOST feels like we’re just starting to reach the normies with “the federal government and Silicon Valley have joined forces to spy on every aspect of your life and it’s called Palantir” and it’s either going to be the turning point for radical privacy or cripple the concept forever.
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DeFlock Redmond @deflock-redmond.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
How often does #Flock get it wrong and what happens when police trust bad data? "BI found that errors and failures to verify its alerts have put innocent people in harm's way. We identified drivers who'd been stopped, injured, or jailed after Flock leads went wrong." #deflock #surveillance #alpr
youtu.be
Misuse Of Flock's Cameras Is Sending Innocent People To Jail | Dispatch
YouTube video by Business Insider
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I am so grateful to the nearly *450* of you who have signed my petition calling on the city to take down city ALPRs - we can make a substantial impact by also showing up to meetings so the council can't ignore our numbers. Let's go! #alprs #sanmateo
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
San Mateo! ALPRs are on the city council agenda for October 5th - one week from today! Please plan to attend this meeting to submit public comment on this item. It's really important that the council see the faces of those of us impacted by their decisions. #alprs #sanmateo
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s. e. smith @sesmith.lol · 27/09/2026
This industry prides itself on denying consent EVERYWHERE YOU GO and these are people influencing policy and culture, creating the architecture of the technologies we all use. This is not a do first, ask for permissions later culture, it's a do because they think they don't need permissions ever.
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Mike Katz-Lacabe @mlacabe.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
An innocent man spent 30 days in jail because of an AI-powered license plate reader. This will keep happening if we don't put a stop to the mass surveillance enabled by Flock, Axon, and other vendors. www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZTR...
youtube.com
Wrongful arrest sparks Flock camera questions
YouTube video by 11Alive
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
An essay? AN ESSAY?
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Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 28/09/2026
I’m not saying you should read this—it’s not very good. However, I just thought this section head in particular deserved widespread ridicule. www.vox.com/politics/504...
Mass surveillance has its downsides
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Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 28/09/2026
Number of times the word “Black” appears in this article: 0 Number of times the word “immigrant” appears in this article: 0 Number of times the word “abortion” appears in this article: 0
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San Mateo Flock Out @sanmateoflockout.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Starting to view this trend toward getting people to want computers to live our lives for us as some kind of parallel to the evangelical yearning for the rapture
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dissent.digital @dissent.digital · 27/09/2026
Flock is offering buyouts as cities ditch its controversial license plate readers. #flock
wired.com
Flock Offers Employees Buyouts as Customers Flee
As dozens of cities end contracts for its controversial license plate readers, Flock is rolling out a voluntary severance program, WIRED has learned.
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CosmicRami 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @rami.spaceaustralia.com · 27/09/2026
Many of you are privileged not to come from a time when queer communities were the first to be thrown under the bus when something bad happened. Hell, this is happening today. Who do you think is going to be the first people thrown under the bus when a pervert uses this tech for really bad shit?
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CosmicRami 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @rami.spaceaustralia.com · 27/09/2026
queer people already find it hard to do just the basic thing, like go to a public toilet, without being called a pervert or pedo or something disgusting. This has been happening for many years but is worse now. Imagine how amplified that will get when a queer person gets accused of using this tech
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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Please try to reclaim your precious precious attention, at all costs. Do puzzles. Take walks without a phone. Dear god, try to read, almost anything that isn’t a manifesto will really do. You are going to need your brain.
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Car Lite San Mateo @carlitesanmateo.com · 26/09/2026
This is one of the paths that enables me to efficiently walk from my neighborhood to the local post office. I really wish pedestrian connectivity was a higher priority around here. Every few months these get “fixed” by the property owner and then it gets re-fixed to look like this.
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