Class-Action Lawsuit: Federal Agencies Accessed SFPD Flock Database 1.6 Million Times

A class-action lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court in February 2026 alleges that Flock Safety allowed federal law enforcement agencies to query the San Francisco Police Department's license plate reader database more than 1.6 million times over a seven-month period -- all without a warrant and in alleged violation of California law.

The lawsuit, filed by Oakland-based firm Gibbs Mura and co-counsel Milberg PLLC, names Flock Safety as a defendant alongside the City of San Francisco. The suit claims violations of California's ALPR Privacy Act (Senate Bill 34), the Unfair Competition Law, and the state constitutional right to privacy.

SB 34, enacted in 2016, prohibits California law enforcement agencies from sharing ALPR data with out-of-state or federal agencies except under specific, narrow circumstances. The suit alleges Flock Safety's platform made this data available through its "National Lookup" feature without agencies' full knowledge or explicit authorization.

"Flock Safety built a nationwide surveillance network and then opened the back door to federal agencies without telling the local departments that were their paying customers," the complaint states.

Flock Safety disputes the characterization, arguing that agencies must opt into data sharing features and that all queries are logged. The company launched a public transparency portal in February 2026, which it says allows residents to see aggregate statistics on how their local department uses the platform.

The case is expected to set a significant precedent for how ALPR data sharing agreements are regulated across state lines. Similar lawsuits are pending in Los Angeles and San Diego counties.

Los Altos, a small Silicon Valley city, was separately identified in court documents as having its readers queried by out-of-state agencies over one million times in a comparable period.