r/technology • u/AdSpecialist6598 • 16h ago

Society Federal Judge Rules a Flock Search Was ‘Indiscriminate Mass Surveillance’ and Unconstitutional

https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/03/federal-judge-calls-flock-indiscriminate-mass-surveillance/
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u/TheBoosThree 16h ago

That's a good start, but the problem is that the judge only ruled that way because they didn't get a warrant first. Not that the collection of the data without a warrant was unconstitutional, that the search of that data without a warrant was. Given that judges are oftentimes rubber stamps when it comes to warrants, this isn't the path to stopping these violations of our rights.

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u/petit_cochon 15h ago edited 14h ago

Yes, because that was the legal issue being raised in this case. They were challenging the evidence as "fruit of the poisonous tree," which is an established constitutional law doctrine. It wasn't a case about whether Flock can collect data. It was about whether law enforcement can use that data without a warrant or even reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. It cannot.

Whether a judge improperly issues a warrant is a different issue.

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u/junkyardgerard 15h ago

Lol "established" - a word used by Republicans to indicate what they intend to overturn