Documented Incident
California AG sues El Cajon over alleged out-of-state sharing of Flock ALPR data
First reported: October 22, 2026 · 1 source
California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against the city of El Cajon alleging that its police department violated SB 34, the state law restricting sharing of automated license plate reader data with federal and out-of-state agencies. El Cajon police said they shared data with out-of-state agencies based on a different reading of the statute and declined further comment, citing the pending litigation. A Flock Safety spokesperson told reporters the company has disabled certain sharing permissions for El Cajon while the case proceeds, meaning other agencies receiving El Cajon data cannot pass it along further, and El Cajon cannot serve as a conduit to other California Flock systems.
The case tests how SB 34's limits on ALPR data sharing will be enforced and interpreted, with implications for the hundreds of California agencies running Flock systems and for how much control states retain over surveillance data once it crosses their borders.
Key facts
- Bonta's office sued El Cajon over alleged violations of SB 34, which restricts sharing ALPR data with federal and out-of-state agencies.
- Lt. Nick Sprecco said El Cajon PD reads SB 34 differently, and emphasized the suit does not concern immigration enforcement or SB 54, the California Values Act.
- The AG's office said in July that once data leaves California, the state loses any say over its use, and that it looks forward to making its case in court.
- Flock Safety said it has turned off certain sharing permissions for El Cajon during the litigation.
- The allegations have not been resolved in court; no findings against El Cajon have been reported.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- The legal battle between El Cajon and CA AG Rob Bonta over Flock ALPR data (Newsbreak, October 22, 2026)
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Updated October 23, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.