Police Using AI to Flag 'Suspicious' Drivers Who Haven't Broken Law: Report
Summary
An ACLU report says AI tools used with automated license plate readers can analyze drivers’ location records and flag travel patterns as suspicious, even when drivers were not previously suspected of a crime. The report cites a Virginia woman who said an officer questioned her about a multistate road trip after a plate scan showed her vehicle’s recorded locations.Key Facts
- The ACLU published its report on October 26, 2026.
- Automated license plate readers photograph vehicles and can record plates, locations, and vehicle details.
- The ACLU focused on Flock Safety technology, including a feature advertised as identifying vehicles detected across multiple states.
- Grace Knowles said an officer stopped her during a 2025 trip and later cited allegedly suspicious travel patterns shown by a plate scan.
- Flock says its technology helps investigators locate vehicles and connect them with incidents.
- The ACLU says about 120,000 Flock cameras are installed in urban and rural areas.
- The ACLU claims that less than 1 percent of vehicles scanned by automated license plate readers are linked to crime or wrongdoing.
- Flock said its technology supported more than 1 million criminal investigations and incidents in 2025.
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