A data leak involving Flock Safety allowed some police license plate search information to appear in search engines. Here’s what happened, what information was visible, and why privacy matters to you.
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What Happened?
The issue was discovered by the NoCo Privacy Coalition and reported publicly in June 2026. Researchers found search engine results that contained information from police vehicle searches conducted through Flock’s system.
Flock said it is investigating the incident and working to remove cached information from search engines where possible. The company stated that the visible information appears to have come from search queries indexed by search engines between 2024 and 2025.
Who Was Affected and What Data Was Leaked?
The company said approximately 70 search records appear to have been indexed by search engines.
According to the report, some search results contained information such as:
- License plate numbers and states
- Vehicle make, model, and color
- Search reasons such as “Investigation” or “GTA” (Grand Theft Auto)
- Case numbers
- Search date ranges
- Other vehicle identifiers noted by officers during searches
Flock said the cached pages did not appear to contain actual search results or underlying law enforcement databases. However, portions of police search queries became publicly visible through search engines.
Even when a data leak does not include financial information, it can still create privacy concerns. Information that reveals investigations, vehicle details, or search activity may be valuable to criminals, stalkers, or others seeking personal information.
It is also important to remember that many people never realize their information has appeared in a data leak. Some incidents receive little attention and may go unnoticed for years.
If you are not sure whether your information was leaked somewhere online, automatic monitoring can help you spot problems earlier.
Futureproof monitors your email 24/7 for data leaks and gives clear steps to secure your account from scams.
Futureproof monitors your information for data leaks 24/7 and guides you with clear steps to keep it safer from scams.
Run a free checkHow Did the Leak Happen?
The exact cause is still being investigated.
According to Flock, the information appears to have been indexed by third-party search engines. Indexing is the process search engines use to collect and organize webpages so they can appear in search results.
As a result, portions of some law enforcement search queries became visible through cached search results. A cache is a temporary copy of information stored by a search engine to help pages load faster.
At Futureproof, Kevin explains digital safety in simple words, with clear tips and zero fluff. He holds a degree in information technology and studies fraud trends to keep his tips up-to-date.
In his free time, Kevin plays with his cat, enjoys board-game nights, and hunts for New York’s best cinnamon rolls.
