Crow's Nest
Friday, September 25, 2026 · The digital civil-liberties brief · View on the web
India's Ministry of Home Affairs directed states to deploy facial recognition via NAFRS; police were told to use Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
India’s Ministry of Home Affairs issued guidelines directing state police to use facial recognition, cyber monitoring, and real-time tracking alerts to identify suspected human traffickers, India.com reported. (India.com)
Top
- At least 900 Flock cameras were shut off in Texas after state funding cuts; Laredo City Council voted 7-2 to let May voters decide on $1 million for 165 devices (KPRC)
- Methuen Councilor Patricia Valley demands Flock camera removal after Lawrence police searched her plate 359 times; Valley previously voted to approve the system (massdailynews.com)
- Berlin police launched spatial AI surveillance cameras at Kotbusser Tor for a four-week test; Die Linke and Greens filed a legal challenge to the law in August (24 News HD)
- Rep. Lauren Boebert calls on DOT, FAA and DOJ to inventory an estimated 6,000 police drones; she urges mandatory registration within 30 days of deployment (The Daily Caller)
- Mumbai deploys AI surveillance cameras and drones along religious procession routes during festival (The Times of India)
Flock watch
- Five Indianapolis police officers are charged with alleged misuse of Flock automated license plate reader technology (https://www.14news.com)
- Vermont will ban state and local agencies from using license plate readers starting July 1, 2027; Title 23 Section 1609 also bans automated traffic enforcement (Compass Vermont)
- St. Lucie County voted Sept. 1 to revoke permits for 52 roadside license plate readers; staff also found three unpermitted cameras installed on county property (The Auto Wire)
- Milwaukee Police Department cuts license plate reader retention to seven days and halts direct sharing; officials admit ICE can still access data via vendors (Civic Media)
- Whiteside County Sheriff John Booker suspended staff use of Flock cameras over alleged deputy misuse; nearby Sterling halted its system active since May 2025 (Shaw Local)
Surveillance & Privacy
- Massachusetts fusion center tracked SparrowMap's 14,196-camera network monitoring government vehicles; records went to Wisconsin despite finding no threat (Gadget Review)
- A whistleblower alleges USCIS staff posed as Virginia voters to access records in DHS's Unlawful Voter Initiative; Sens. Warner and Kaine flagged it Sept. 14 (8News)
- Western Australia Police Force published results of its first live facial recognition trial, which ran faces against its Offender Management Division alert list (Police Oracle)
- Innocence Project joins lawsuit challenging Reno facial-recognition arrest (biometricupdate.com)
Coming Up
Fri Sep 25 · DEADLINE · Washington, D.C. — Flock Safety deadline to respond to Senate inquiry regarding law enforcement and immigration access to license plate data (NewsMax)
Fri Sep 25 · TAKES EFFECT · U.S. government — U.S. sanctions take effect barring the Autistici/Inventati Collective from receiving funding or providing services (Washington Examiner)
Fri Sep 25 · EXPIRES · Dallas, TX — Dallas Police Department deactivates 321 state-funded Flock license plate cameras (The Dallas Morning News)
Mon Sep 28 · MEETING · North Attleborough, Massachusetts — North Attleborough officials revisit the town's Flock license plate reader surveillance program (WJAR)
Mon Sep 28 · MEETING · La Cañada Flintridge, CA — Public Safety Commission holds an informational discussion regarding Flock safety cameras (outlooknewspapers.com)
Mon Sep 28 · MEETING · South Lyon, MI — South Lyon City Council receives review on legal and financial impacts of canceling the city's Flock ALPR contract (Yahoo (South Lyon City Council report))
Speech & Press
- Ruling: Judge Timothy Kelly orders the White House to reinstate press credentials for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico; Donald Trump banned the 3 outlets on Sept. 18 (The Gazette)
- Filing: News organizations asked Judge Kelly for an immediate hearing after the White House barred Politico, CNN, and MS NOW despite an overnight court order (electionlawblog.org)
- Ruling: A court orders the White House to restore press passes to CNN, MS NOW, Politico, and 3 reporters; Trump revoked them on Sept. 18, 2026 without notice (reason.com)
Useful
Street-Level Surveillance — EFF's explainers on each police technology: what an ALPR, a drone, a cell-site simulator or a face recognition system actually does with your data.
Know someone who'd want this? Forward it. Forwarded a copy? Subscribe here.
Follow along: Bluesky · Mastodon.
You're getting this because you subscribed at https://crowsnest.report.
Unsubscribe — one click, no questions, no "are you sure?".
1209 Mountain Road Pl NE, Ste N, Albuquerque, NM 87110