MAKE the CASE: Safety Through Mass Surveillance is an Illusion

Oct 12, 2026

Listen to this episode on

What can go wrong when a private company builds a nationwide mass surveillance network that records billions of license plate scans per month? Nick Hidalgo, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, examines claims that Flock cameras fight crime—and the consequences of tracking millions of people as they go about their daily lives.

Each episode of MAKE the CASE takes you behind the scenes of a consequential case or issue making headlines, unpacking what’s at stake, why the ACLU gets involved, and whose rights could be affected.

Listen to MAKE the CASE on our website and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Related Content


Resource
Flock Cameras surveilling cars on highway.
  • Privacy and Technology

Get Flock Cameras Out of Your Community

Learn how to fight the proliferation of Flock Safety cameras and other automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) in your city. Get facts, sample letters, and advocacy tools from the ACLU of Northern California.
Court Case
Jan 20, 2026
Cartoon grid with cars, location pins and license plate, which are overlooked by a camera and a law enforcement officer
  • Privacy and Technology|
  • +1 Issue

SIREN, et al. v. City of San Jose, et al.

The ACLU of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed suit in Santa Clara County Superior Court against the City of San Jose and others to challenge San Jose police officers’ practice of searching for location information collected by automated license plate readers (ALPRs) without first getting a warrant.
Resource
trailer logo with scales of justice and "MAKE the CASE"
  • Criminal Law Reform|
  • +6 Issues

MAKE the CASE Podcast

The new podcast from the ACLU of Northern California delves into some of the most consequential questions of our time, from immigration to surveillance to voting rights. Host Carmen King goes behind the headlines to help listeners understand what’s at stake, why the ACLU gets involved, and whose rights will be most impacted.