License plate reader company Flock Safety shared data with federal agents
Illinois orders the company to stop sharing with U.S. Customs
• Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias ordered Flock Safety to cut federal access after discovering unauthorized data sharing with U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• The nation's largest automated license plate reader company allowed CBP to surveil Illinois drivers without proper safeguards, potentially violating the state's Trust Act
• Flock CEO admitted the company failed to create distinct permissions for federal users and has paused all federal pilot programs nationwide
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has alleged that license plate reader company Flock Safety violated state law by allowing U.S. Customs and Border Protection access to camera data from Illinois roads.
The revelation came after Giannoulias' office conducted a sample audit of 12 law enforcement agencies using Flock's automated license plate reader system, the largest such network in the nation.
On its website, Flock says it “offers a holistic solution to crime prevention and evidence gathering with license plate recognition, gunshot detection, and video cameras.”
State audit reveals unauthorized federal access
The audit found that Flock "didn't have the proper safeguards in place for data sharing," according to Giannoulias' news release. The situation was made worse by the fact that CBP was running a pilot program with access to the cameras "which Flock leadership was unaware of," the secretary of state said.
Following the discovery, Giannoulias ordered Flock to immediately shut off CBP's access to cameras operating in Illinois.
Company pauses federal programs nationwide
In response to the Illinois action, Flock has paused its pilot program with CBP and other federal agencies across the country.
Flock CEO Garrett Langley posted a statement on the company's website acknowledging the violations. He admitted the company "didn't create distinct permissions and protocols in the Flock system to ensure local compliance for federal agency users."
Trust Act concerns prompt police review
The unauthorized data sharing potentially violates Illinois' Trust Act, which restricts local law enforcement from collaborating with federal authorities on immigration enforcement without a court warrant. The law specifically limits cooperation with agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Giannoulias has urged police departments statewide to re-examine their agreements with Flock to ensure compliance with the Trust Act and determine what level of access they grant to the company.
CEO acknowledges communication failures
In his statement, Langley said the company had been running "limited pilots" with CBP and Homeland Security Investigations to combat human trafficking and fentanyl distribution, despite having no formal contractual relationship with Department of Homeland Security agencies.
"We clearly communicated poorly," Langley wrote, adding that the company appreciates "the sensitivities surrounding local and federal cooperation on law enforcement matters."
The CEO said all ongoing federal pilot programs have been paused as of last week.