Washington Court Zaps Cities’ Attempt to Hide License Plate Data: Transparency Wins!
A Washington state court ruled that Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader data is public, despite cities’ attempts to keep it secret. This decision underscores transparency, even with third-party vendors. It’s a win for public access, though the requester won’t get records due to their deletion. Flock Safety’s practices face growing scrutiny.
Hot Take:
Looks like the cities of Stanwood and Sedro-Woolley in Washington state tried to pull a fast one, hiding behind Flock Safety’s ALPR cameras like they’re playing a high-stakes game of hide and seek. But the Skagit County Superior Court wasn’t buying it, laying down the law and saying, “Sorry folks, no secret squirrel business allowed with public records!” Now, even if your city is using a third-party vendor for all its Big Brother antics, the public still has a right to know what’s going down in surveillance town. So, it’s game over for the cloak-and-dagger data drama.
Key Points:
- Flock Safety cameras’ data is public record according to the Washington Public Records Act.
- The court ruled that third-party vendors can’t act as a shield against public access to data.
- Stanwood and Sedro-Woolley tried multiple tactics to keep the data private but failed.
- The ruling highlights the risks of cities storing surveillance data on private servers.
- Concerns over ALPR data misuse, including immigration enforcement, remain high.