Police searched national network of automatic license plate reading cameras in abortion investigation

A Texas woman who had her whereabouts tracked through a national network of automated license plate reading cameras was involved in a police investigation after aborting her pregnancy, according to newly-unearthed documents.

Adam King, the sheriff for Texas’ Johnson County, and Flock Safety, the maker of the license plate reading cameras, previously said the woman was monitored because her family was worried about her safety after she self-administered an abortion and that she was never a criminal suspect. 

However, the new documents obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation show that the “death investigation” which triggered the Flock search began two weeks after the abortion, undermining King’s claims that the probe of the camera network was conducted due to concerns that the woman would “bleed to death.”

The incident, which was first reported on by 404 Media in May, showcases the extent that law enforcement and technology companies can track people without their knowledge, according to privacy experts. The officer conducting the search pulled data from a network of more than 83,000 Flock cameras, including in states where abortion is legal.

“The case serves as a clear warning sign that when data from [automatic license plate readers] is shared across state lines, it can put people at risk, including abortion seekers,” EFF wrote, adding that the incident may have run afoul of privacy laws in Washington and Illinois.

Flock Safety and a spokesperson for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for comment.

Garrett Langley, the CEO of Flock, had previously called 404’s reporting a misleading account by an “activist journalist.”