Officer Searched 82,413 License-Plate Cameras, Wrote 'IDK' As The Reason
EFF found officers nationwide typing 'LMAO,' 'hehe,' and keyboard mash as search reasons, though California has required a stated purpose since 2015.
- Priceville PD in Alabama ran 1,954 searches justifying each one only as 'TBD.'
- More than 6,300 searches across over 30 agencies used the same 'TBD' excuse.
- Flock only added dropdown menus to replace free text justifications in late 2025.
Why it matters: A law demanding a reason but never checking it protects nobody; it just teaches power nobody watches.
Electronic Frontier Foundation, "High Crime: 'LMAO': How Cops Are Treating Mass Surveillance Like a Joke" ↗ · Sep 14, 20269/14/26