Documented Incident
EFF and ACLU demand records after report Marin sheriff shared Flock ALPR data out of state
Event: November 1, 2024 · First reported: October 1, 2026 · 7 sources
EFF and the ACLU of Northern California sent the Marin County Sheriff's Office a demand letter and a California Public Records Act request after the Point Reyes Light reported that the agency gave out-of-state and federal agencies access to its Flock Safety license plate reader database. The groups say audit logs cited in the report show sharing in the final months of 2024, including 254,131 instances in November 2024 alone, with searches by agencies in states such as Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Florida and Texas. The organizations contend this violates California's SB 34 and the 2022 settlement in Lagleva v. Marin County Sheriff, which resolved an earlier 2021 lawsuit over similar sharing with agencies including ICE and Border Patrol. The letter asks for an audit, new compliance protocols, and penalties for employees who share data out of state.
The allegations test whether a negotiated settlement and state statute can actually constrain data flows through a commercial ALPR network, a question facing any jurisdiction that relies on vendor-side controls and self-reporting rather than independent audits.
Key facts
- EFF and ACLU of Northern California sent a demand letter and CPRA request to the Marin County Sheriff's Office, dated in the letter as October 1
- Audit logs reported by the Point Reyes Light allegedly show 254,131 out-of-state or federal searches of Marin's ALPR data in November 2024
- The groups allege violations of California's SB 34 and the 2022 Lagleva v. Marin County Sheriff settlement; SB 54 would also apply if sharing aided immigration enforcement
- The letter states MCSO claims it disabled nationwide data-access features, but the groups say the agency has not explained how outside agencies still obtained access
- The groups also question why MCSO did not notify the public or the Marin County Inspector General after learning of the sharing; no court has yet ruled on these allegations
Timeline
- October 1, 2026We Demand More Information on How Marin Cops Illegally Shared Flock ALPR Data
- October 3, 2026Marin County Flock Cameras Accessed by Out-of-State Agencies for Nine Weeks
- October 4, 2026Marin County Flock Camera Data Breach Explained
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- We Demand More Information on How Marin Cops Illegally Shared Flock ALPR Data (Electronic Frontier Foundation, October 1, 2026)
- Marin County Sheriff's Office Shared Automated License Plate Reader Information with Outside Law Enforcement Agencies (ACLU of Northern California, October 1, 2026)
- Marin County Flock Cameras Accessed by Out-of-State Agencies for Nine Weeks (Headtopics, October 3, 2026)
- Marin County Flock Camera Data Breach Explained (Hoodline, October 4, 2026)
- Marin County residents concerned after report reveals Flock cameras data breach (NBC Bay Area, October 3, 2026)
- Marin County residents concerned after report reveals Flock cameras data breach (Newsbreak, October 3, 2026)
- Marin County residents concerned after report reveals Flock cameras data breach (NBC Bay Area, October 3, 2026)
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About this record
BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.
Updated October 6, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.