Federal judge calls Flock search unconstitutional as lawmakers introduce a bill to ban license plate readers

An Oklahoma federal judge ruled that a police search of Flock's nationwide automatic license plate reader database violated the Fourth Amendment because it lacked probable cause and a warrant. The case began when a Tulsa County deputy followed a vehicle with California plates, searched its travel history, and reviewed more than 50 detections across the country before stopping the driver. Although methamphetamine was found in the vehicle, the court excluded the evidence. Judge Sara Hill described networked ALPR systems as "indiscriminate mass surveillance," distinguishing them from earlier rulings that treated license plate data gathered on public roads as ordinary police surveillance. The decision does not change legal precedent, but may signal a shift in privacy expectations. The ruling comes amid community opposition, reports of misuse, and proposed federal restrictions, including the Ban Flock Act introduced by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, and Jeff Merkley.