The secrecy around Massachusetts state police license plate readers is cracking. A Suffolk Superior Court judge granted summary judgment this week in a five-year ACLU fight, ruling that the agency had no proper grounds to withhold where its cameras sit and how troopers use them.
The civil liberties group announced the outcome Wednesday. Its lawsuit over the records dates to 2023, and the court wants a sample audit of plate reader activity delivered within days.
ACLU technology and justice programs director Kade Crockford described a statewide wave of anger at covert surveillance, with towns organizing against Flock and similar systems while few residents realized the state police run their own network of readers.
The decision follows a season of abuse allegations against the technology. Communities across Massachusetts have paused or scrapped Flock contracts, officers have faced discipline for using the cameras to follow romantic partners, and the state police had not commented on the ruling when it was announced.
