EFF Deeplinks · September 14, 2026

The High Crime of “LMAO”: How Cops Are Treating Mass Surveillance As a Joke

Criminal JusticePublic PolicyLaw

THE AI ANGLE

Automating continuous vehicle identification and location tracking across mass camera networks

An Electronic Frontier Foundation analysis of Flock Safety audit logs revealed that police officers nationwide routinely query automated license plate reader (ALPR) databases using nonsensical justifications such as 'LOL,' 'idk,' insults, and random button mashing. Although these surveillance systems are pitched to local officials as crucial tools for solving serious violent crimes, officers frequently search vast location-tracking networks for low-level issues or personal whims without warrant requirements or judicial oversight. This widespread practice highlights substantial gaps in administrative accountability, internal auditing, and constitutional protections against warrantless mass surveillance.

THE TEACHING ANGLE

Students can debate whether internal administrative guardrails, such as mandatory drop-down menus, provide meaningful oversight or merely create a veneer of uniformity that masks warrantless surveillance abuse.

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The High Crime of “LMAO”: How Cops Are Treating Mass Surveillance As a Joke

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