Detector may not flag lying cops
Another change that Flock introduced to help solve the stalker cop problem includes requiring case numbers for searches. However, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Saira Hussain, told SFGate that it seems trivially easy for cops to get around that requirement without triggering the audit assistance tool. A motivated bad actor could seemingly lie and give any case number, then conduct searches related to stalking romantic partners without triggering suspension, she suggested.
“That’s a significant concern, and I don’t think you, as Flock, are going to be able to tech your way out of it,” Hussain said.
The ACLU agreed, noting that the case number requirement was a previously optional feature that rolled out in July 2025 and seemed to do little to prevent police abuse when cops can manipulate the case numbers to suit their agendas.
“This leaves the public wondering how making an ineffective voluntary security measure mandatory will improve its functionality,” the ACLU said.
