I now know I am OFFICIALLY on some sort of watchlist! Yippee!
The list is supposedly not exhaustive, but I recommend everyone to search your plate to see if you’ve been tracked. I worry for the safety of the women who have been searched more than 50 times by the same user.
107 Comments
JasonDJ@lemmy.zip · 93 pts · 1d
Holy shit one officer in my town has 309 searches on one plate.
He(?) has the top number of searches in total, and (practically) the only person to search for the top four plates in my town. The rest have like 1-2 searches from other officers in the same or adjacent town.
Wtf is so special about these 4 plates?
We only have two cameras in my town (afaik), and they are on the highway on ramps.
ultranaut@lemmy.world · 60 pts · 1d
Sounds like a question for the Mayor and city council.
JasonDJ@lemmy.zip · 31 pts · 1d
I contacted the police oversight committee. They report to the Governor and AG.
Zephorah@discuss.online · 40 pts · 1d
He’s divorced and those are his Xwife, her new boyfriend, and his two kids.
Maybe. But rolling the dice, that’s my 7.
Aqivex@fedinsfw.app · 18 pts · 1d
I wouldn't bet against you, that's for sure.
daannii@lemmy.world · 34 pts · 1d
Ex gf or wife or a chick who turned him down. Or a trans woman he is obsessed with.
marzhall@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 20h
Or current wife who's he's paranoid is cheating with him. LOVEINT is fun.
nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de · 2 pts · 12h
It his current wife and her new boyfriend.
pega_sus@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1d
They really be obsessing over us
obelisk_complex@piefed.ca · 25 pts · 1d
On the page, USA Today have a section saying if you see a plate that has a lot of searches they want to hear from you. Might be worth letting them know which plates/officer.
daychilde@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 1d
If they have the data, they have the ability to compile that data to find the top searched plates....... this sounds like a way of getting more interaction.
turtlesareneat@piefed.ca · 8 pts · 1d
They mean if you're one of the plates being searched for a lot.
4am@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 1d
If they have the database that’s a simple query to execute against it.
Don’t tell me USA today actually reads at the level they write at? Jeez.
sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz · 22 pts · 1d
Rookie numbers. This is what came from a search of my town:
grrgyle@slrpnk.net · 4 pts · 1d
Presumably their bosses have access to this info... Like...
Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 21h
What does it say when you click into name?
My city has 75% redacted and when I click on a person, the redacted account for the an even higher percentage.
The quantity of redacted makes this mostly useless.
sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 16h
It's 99% redacted, so not much help:
crank0271@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 1d
Seems worthy of contacting the reporter's mentioned on the site:
lightnsfw@reddthat.com · 2 pts · 18h
Is he like the desk guy the others call to have him check plates? Only somewhat reasonable explanation I can think of. Not that there's any reasonable explanation for these things to exist in the first place.
JasonDJ@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 18h
And somebody called him 309 times on the same plate?
That's once every workday for over an entire year. It's nuts. Stalker-level behavior.
LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 17h
I think it would be a huge breach of privacy and it shouldnt exist but the one scenario that people might argue this is fine if it was like a pariole officer.
Like if someone has conditions stating they can only go to work and such, so the officer checks to see if he was breaking his parole the day before.
Once again, I don't think it should exist... But I know a lot of people who would say that is for the betterment of society.
lightnsfw@reddthat.com · 1 pts · 18h
Sorry misread the part about it being one plate.
Neon_Carnivore@lemmy.zip · 86 pts · 1d
The site blocks VPNs, and searching a plate might associate it with your IP address. I advise proceeding with extreme caution. I know it sounds paranoid, but given the state of things in America as of late...
Rocketpoweredgorilla@lemmy.ca · 30 pts · 1d
If you have Proton, Chicago Illinois #2 works.
perpetualflight@lemmy.zip · 25 pts · 21h
Here is a searchable database that does work with a VPN
Have I Been Flocked
DupaCycki@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 1d
Let's exchange plates and look up the other person's plate to confuse the system.
(I don't have a car and live in the EU)
TefikiMupu@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 13h
You could just search random plate numbers
blargh513@sh.itjust.works · 9 pts · 15h
Oh kids.
A VPN is only really good for plausable deniability. That is there is no direct correlation between the activity coming from an ISP's IP address that is directly connected to your billing profile, home address, etc.
There are countless ways your identity can be gleaned from your digital exhaust. Fingerprinting just takes maybe four or five attributes your browser will hand over and from there, you can be reasonably identified with a high level of certainty.
For example, you might be using a Safari browser, your resolution is known (browser spills the beans to render pages), operating system, details about how your device performs a TLS (encryption) handshake, timing, any browser add-ons you might use etc.
See for yourself: https://demo.fingerprint.com/playground; there are countless pages that show you the same, this is just one.
If you think that a VPN is going to act as some sort of anonymizer, I'm afraid you've been misled. Even the act of setting up a machine/browser to be properly anonymous will generate signals which will make you stick out like a sore thumb.
VPNs are one small slice of the pie, they help but they don't solve the problem of being identified online. If you're going to do something that you REALLY don't want anyone to see, you're going to have to spend a lot of time learning--which is a signal also.
HugeNerd@lemmy.ca · -7 pts · 15h
Oh pray tell, what is "your" IP address? Do you honestly think you have your own IP address? In the world??
Feathercrown@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 15h
Jesse wtf are you talking about
zalgotext@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 13h
Username does not check out
zqps@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 12h
Dude, if your IP is logged with a timestamp, it's a simple matter of asking your ISP which subscriber / household was assigned that IP at the time. They don't even need a warrant.
ultranaut@lemmy.world · 73 pts · 1d
I am honestly impressed with USA Today for the first time in my life. Flock is fucked if these milquetoast bitches are with us.
taiyang@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 1d
What next, Teen Vogue or Buzzfeed?
(No but seriously I love when these places do hard hitting shit out of the blue, although it hasn't ended well in both cases).
iluvlamp37@lemmy.zip · 15 pts · 1d
TMZ has been holding DC’s feet to the fire 100X more than any of the legacy media outlets this administration, too
taiyang@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 1d
Oh yeah, how could I forget TMZ. It's so fucking backwards in 2026.
Locally, one of the most insane ones is food blogger LA Taco getting into ICE reporting and interviewing. Obviously when legacy media fails, people still try to step up.
Rubanski@discuss.tchncs.de · 8 pts · 1d
BuzzFeed has (had?) a really random hard hitting journalism arm
Fredthefishlord@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 6 pts · 1d
I wouldn't be surprised if this kinda thing happens because they lack oversight since they expect nothing
yonderbarn@lazysoci.al · 3 pts · 1d
Bipartisan issue
some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org · 21 pts · 19h
They scraped HaveIBeenFlocked.
pelespirit@sh.itjust.works · 20 pts · 1d
These are all mostly red areas that are being stalked. Wild.
TefikiMupu@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 1d
Completely predictable.
mountaincalledmonkey@sopuli.xyz · 18 pts · 1d
downloadable db anywhere?
cloudshouter@lemmy.zip · 17 pts · 1d
Can’t tell. The city redacted all of the plates and usually leaves the reason blank. They have been getting called out for their willful disregard for accountability in other areas too, not that it does anything.
The county redacted 85% of the searches, which probably tracks with them doing legitimate work 20% of the time.
The goombas at the city airport spent the first year on it before suddenly realizing they could hide it. Looks like most of them were probably mostly professional and a couple were stalking.
Steve@startrek.website · 15 pts · 1d
Searching your plate adds it to the list. I bet.
4am@lemmy.zip · 10 pts · 1d
It’s adds you to the “interested to know if law enforcement has any interest in them USA Today Honeypot 2026” database, which probably marks your file as antifa or something
turtlesareneat@piefed.ca · 6 pts · 1d
USA Today isn't exactly top notch news but what would they have to gain from feeding search data to the government? People on both sides of the aisle are pissed right now, hence the searchable database to begin with. Lots of women checking to see if their exes have been stalking them. This wouldn't be any kind of useful correlation to want the data on.
JcbAzPx@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 21h
The only thing any company cares about gaining, money.
daychilde@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1d
What do you think that would accomplish, exactly?
Steve@startrek.website · 4 pts · 1d
Its a data point
Tikiporch@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1d
That's why I entered mine and a bunch of other ones in the Lion's Den parking lot.
daychilde@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 1d
Sure. So is your comment.
Now. What do you think anyone would accomplish with that data point? Because USA Today would have possession of the data point of a presumably-legit tag number being entered into this website.
Companies do collect data to sell constantly, but I'm just having a hard time trying to make this one work. Like, not everything is a fucking conspiracy, man. Not everything is a bot. Not everything is an ad.
People get distracted from the real problems by going on and on and on constantly how every single thing is a threat and dangerous.
And yet....... those same people will post public comments that can be collected and sold.
Sure, sometimes that happens. But USA Today setting this up and collecting data to sell just doesn't pass the laugh test.
It's dumb.
Lasherz12@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 1d
Man, searching for words like "crime", "theft", or "warrant" really helps paint a picture of how fucking stupid cops are in this country
Dhs92@piefed.social · 5 pts · 1d
Cops in my area seem to use "MADGE", "MADGE1", "HEHEHE", "HEHEH", and more
thesohoriots@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 1d
My county seems pretty chill, compared to most of these comments. That being said, I wish all flock cameras a very [redacted].
matlag@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 17h
Now you only need to find a few high profile GOP members going to see young women (or men, actually…) their wives never heard of, and Flock will be severely restricted within one week.
Tooks@piefed.social · 5 pts · 1d
Frederick Co VA top user has their information "redacted." Must be targeting minors (16-17 yr olds)
Alexstarfire@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1d
My plate hasn't been searched (it's not in this list at least), but without outing exactly where I live I'll just say my county is among the worst in the country for searches. I.e. We've done lots of searches.
Drusas@fedia.io · 4 pts · 1d
Georgia--Jesus Christ
LemmyFeed@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 1d
Dead link?
Drusas@fedia.io · 4 pts · 1d
Works fine for me.
EmilieEasie@fedinsfw.app · 1 pts · 1d
Oh no
Zephorah@discuss.online · 0 pts · 1d
It all goes in your profile over at Homeland Security.
kibblebits@quokk.au · -4 pts · 1d
Hey everyone, go put your plate into this system. It’s totally not a scam to collect license plates that aren’t any ready on the list.
floofloof@lemmy.ca · 27 pts · 1d
Surely there are already databases containing all the license plates that have been issued. The useful thing is tracking where people go. So what would such a scam achieve?
Dultas@lemmy.world · 25 pts · 1d
Yeah the license plates are issued by the government. Do people not think there is a database already.
Zephorah@discuss.online · 2 pts · 1d
It’s the data point for tracking movement. Learning routines. You don’t think data centers are just there for Claude and Grok, do you?
For example, like saying Dultas goes from their house to a location near X 4 days a week, at this time, rarely varying, in a 2001 Toyota RAV4. Dultas shops at X grocery on Thursdays after leaving work. Dultas is also seen pulling into the parking lot of a strip that holds X businesses. Based on other data, the probability he’s at the gaming store X every other Saturday for several hours is. Given Dultas’ shopping data and store data in that lot, he’s probably part of one of the dungeons and dragons groups using space in that shop. Dultas broke pattern and was seen near the ICE protest on Aigust X-X while his cell phone remained at his home location. Dultas’ shopping data shows he purchased 2 burner phones from Walmart on August X.
Like that.
I’m making stuff up on the fly and it still reads as creepy and dystopian. It’s not the info so much as the context it provides as relates to you.
Dultas@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1d
You obviously didn't read the original comment that this discussion was about. It was about entering your own license plate into the lookup database to see if it was being tracked. Which none of your post has any relevance to.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1d
veryblandusername@fedinsfw.app · 19 pts · 1d
You do realize that license plates are government issued plates attached to your identity and that they keep lists of those plates....right?
Because it would be incredibly silly if you thought otherwise.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1d
OH SHIT THE GUBMIT GONNA GIT MA NAME! MA NAME MA PA GIVE ME!
iluvlamp37@lemmy.zip · 14 pts · 1d
Cops obviously could find your license plate number if they want to, the DMV is a state agency who’s whole point is literally keeping track of stuff like that
Armok_the_bunny@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1d
It's not being run by a government agency or anyone affiliated with flock, so it's probably fine.
kibblebits@quokk.au · -1 pts · 1d
Totally not being sold.
ryannathans@aussie.zone · 8 pts · 1d
To who, and for what? At least conspiracy theories used to make sense
GreenBeard@lemmy.ca · 0 pts · 1d
If you think the government is the only organization using your data against you friend, you're living in a different era. Insurance companies, banks, ad farms, private security, AI tech giants, etc., etc., ad nauseum are all using your public and private profile to shape every second of every day. Testing your limits, tracking your movements, mapping your relationships, your buying patterns, and making you dance like a puppet for their entertainment.
The government is the least scary of the groups shaping your world, because at least there's hypothetically an accountability mechanism in the democratic process. Public, private, it really makes little difference, if you trust any of them without question, you're playing yourself
ryannathans@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 1d
What's the business case here for this example?
GreenBeard@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 23h
The obvious example is how Facebook tracks your physical location and nearby devices to determine what ads to serve you. That's often why people think Facebook is listening to them and serving them ads for things they mentioned in casual conversation but haven't searched for themselves. They didn't search for it, but their friend did, and they know if you get an ad for that thing you're more likely to click through based on potential word-of-mouth effects. They're using your IRL social network and physical location as an extension of their ad algorithm.
floofloof@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 1d
I'm skeptical, but to play devil's advocate: I guess it could help a data broker that had some information attached to a license plate number, perhaps including your identity. When you enter your license plate number into this web search, they can associate the IP address and browser fingerprint of the request with the license plate and therefore with your identity and any other data in the first database. This enables them to connect your identity and your vehicle to whatever online activity data they have for that IP address and/or browser fingerprint.
kibblebits@quokk.au · -3 pts · 1d
To sell you something or control you.
iluvlamp37@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 1d
How would a company knowing your license plate number help with that. I don’t want them to have it (or anything else), but I legitimately cannot think of a use case
kibblebits@quokk.au · -1 pts · 1d
To sell to other companies so they can compare your data on various sources.
iluvlamp37@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 1d
..what could your license plate number even be used for
seathru@quokk.au · 4 pts · 1d
I punched in plates from the parking lot to see if anything good came up. Sorry to get you added to a list, randos.
kibblebits@quokk.au · 3 pts · 1d
Did anything good come up?
seathru@quokk.au · 1 pts · 1d
Actually one that came up had the reason tags "INVESTIGATION" "INCEST". Not really out of place for the area tho.
kibblebits@quokk.au · 1 pts · 1d
The link that article provided showed you that information?
seathru@quokk.au · 1 pts · 22h
Yeah. I thought that was a little fucked up.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1d
Did they get hatsune miku?