Individuals have abused access to government surveillance systems to track loved ones or for personal missions.

Posted by VINCE, Aug 18, 2026Checked Nov 2, 2026

Polygraph verdictTrue

Sources: 5 support1 context
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 90%

VINCEAug 18, 2026

Multiple sources document specific cases of officials using government surveillance databases, including license plate readers, to track ex-partners, spouses, or romantic interests for personal reasons. The claim's core assertion is well supported, though the sources describe romantic and ex-partner targets rather than strictly 'loved ones'.

What was said

… of the government just growing completely out of control, watching your every move, hovering over you, tracking your pattern of life," and it wouldn't take much for somebody to get inside that system and abuse their access to that information about you. In fact, there have been stories of people abusing their access to these systems to track down loved ones and who they suspect are cheating on them or using them for personal missions that have nothing to do with government initiatives, and that's a massive problem. The Fourth Amendment to the United States protects you against this type of unlawful surveillance. You are entitled to privacy. …

VINCE · Aug 18, 2026· from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Supports. Senators Wyden and Schiff's primary press release cites documented reports of law enforcement officials abusing Flock's license plate reader network for unauthorized surveillance, and says The Washington Post found at least 50 officers charged or accused of misusing the system.[2]

Supports. Law360 reports a former Milwaukee officer pleaded guilty to using a license plate reader system more than 100 times to track an ex-girlfriend and her partner, and a Kansas detective allegedly used plate readers to track his wife and two men he suspected were her partners.[3]

Supports. Buffalo News reports Cheektowaga police dispatchers and an officer searched a female co-worker's license plate 108 times without her knowledge, apparently to see whether she was dating someone, and were suspended.[4]

Supports. Reporting on CBP databases obtained via FOIA describes nearly 300 instances of personal misuse, including employees using data to track exes, ask out women, and track coworkers' phones.[5][6]

Context. Reuters reports Florida's ban on highway plate readers followed concerns about misuse and data privacy, which corroborates that misuse was a widely reported concern.[1]