{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/politics/josh-hawley-investigates-flock-safety-over-data-practices","slug":"josh-hawley-investigates-flock-safety-over-data-practices","url":"https://mediabias.news/politics/josh-hawley-investigates-flock-safety-over-data-practices","title":"Josh Hawley Investigates Flock Safety Over Data Practices","subtitle":"Senator probes license plate reader company's data collection and dissemination policies.","excerpt":"Senator Josh Hawley has launched an investigation into Flock Safety, a company that provides license plate reader cameras to law enforcement. The probe focuses on the company's data handling practices, following concerns about privacy and unauthorized access.","category":"Politics","area":"United States","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T21:46:07.943Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-08-26T20:44:20.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-26T22:30:25.520Z","readTime":"3 min read","scores":{"trust":50,"critic":61,"hype":20,"notes":{"trust":"Central claim attributed to named body; two independent outlets published full reports; one source named on record.","critic":"Reporting is clear and holds together; affected parties are quoted or given right of reply; fact is separate from comment.","hype":"Language is measured and proportionate, with no sensationalism or loaded adjectives."}},"tags":["#JoshHawley","#FlockSafety","#Surveillance","#DataPrivacy","#LicensePlateReaders"],"entities":["Josh Hawley","Flock Safety","St. Charles County Police","Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["U.S. Senator Josh Hawley is investigating Flock Safety, a company that operates a network of license plate reader cameras.","The investigation concerns Flock Safety's policies for collecting, retaining, and sharing data gathered by its cameras.","Hawley stated that Congress has not authorized the industry-wide network of license plate readers.","St. Charles County Police will cease using Flock technology after a civilian improperly accessed data."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley has initiated an investigation into Flock Safety, a technology firm that supplies license plate reader cameras to law enforcement agencies. The inquiry, led by a Senate Judiciary subcommittee chaired by Hawley, centres on the company's practices regarding the collection, retention, and dissemination of data captured by its cameras."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Hawley expressed concerns that the company's internal policies serve as the primary safeguards for Americans' data, as Congress has not formally authorised the widespread use of such technology. He stated that the public is increasingly aware of these practices and seeking answers from elected officials. In a related development, the St. Charles County Police department announced it would stop using Flock technology following an incident where a civilian improperly accessed data. The department will continue to use other providers with what it describes as more stringent access protocols."},{"type":"heading","text":"Disagreement on company response"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"A spokesperson for Flock Safety stated that the company looks forward to working with the subcommittee to offer further context on its technology, its built-in safeguards, and how law enforcement agencies utilise Flock to solve crimes and locate missing individuals. The reports do not contain any statement from the company regarding this specific inquiry."},{"type":"heading","text":"What the coverage left out"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"None of the right-rated reports mention the St. Charles County Police decision to stop using Flock technology after a civilian improperly accessed data."}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"Mashable","url":"https://mashable.com/tech/senator-hawley-flock-investigation","headline":"Beleaguered Flock now has the U.S. Senate on its tail","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T21:53:58.000Z"},{"sourceName":"[your]NEWS","url":"https://yournews.com/2026/08/26/7177588/josh-hawley-launches-investigation-into-flock-over-surveillance-concerns","headline":"Josh Hawley Launches Investigation Into Flock Over Surveillance Concerns","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T20:44:20.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Washington Examiner","url":"https://washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/4701630/josh-hawley-investigation-flock-cameras","headline":"Hawley opens investigation into Flock cameras","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T20:40:01.000Z"},{"sourceName":"NewsNation","url":"https://newsnationnow.com/politics/josh-hawley-flock-camera-investigation","headline":"Hawley launches investigation into Flock cameras’ massive surveillance program","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T20:32:05.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Daily Caller","url":"https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/26/josh-hawley-investigation-flock-safety-cameras","headline":"GOP Senator Launches Investigation Into Flock Over Surveillance Concerns","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T18:41:37.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Newsmax","url":"https://newsmax.com/politics/josh-hawley-flock-cameras-license-plate-readers/2026/08/26/id/1267401","headline":"Report: Sen. Hawley Opens Probe Into Flock Cameras","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T18:31:09.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Political Wire","url":"https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/26/josh-hawley-launches-probe-into-flock-cameras","headline":"Josh Hawley Launches Probe Into Flock Cameras","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T17:12:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Spectrum Local News","url":"https://spectrumlocalnews.com/mo/st-louis/news/2026/08/26/hawley-probes-flock","headline":"Mo. Sen. Josh Hawley probing Flock as surveillance scrutiny grows","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T15:28:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Free Press (Tampa)","url":"https://tampafp.com/missouri-sen-josh-hawley-probes-flock-safety-over-camera-network","headline":"Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley Probes Flock Safety Over Camera Network - Tampa Free Press","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T15:05:26.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Independent Journal Review","url":"https://ijr.com/article/josh-hawley-launches-investigation-into-flock-over-surveillance-concerns","headline":"Josh Hawley Launches Investigation Into Flock Over Surveillance Concerns","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T12:00:00.000Z"}],"analysis":{"distribution":{"percent":{"left":0,"centre":22,"right":78},"count":{"left":0,"centre":2,"right":7},"totalSources":9,"untracked":0,"rated":9,"observedAt":"2026-08-26T23:30:31.429289+00:00"},"lifecycle":{"state":"developing","lastCheckedAt":"2026-08-26T23:45:13.710Z","closedAt":null,"checks":8,"changes":1,"reopened":false},"framing":{"left":[],"centre":["Spectrum Local News led on Senator Josh Hawley opening an investigation into Flock Safety, noting the company's use of license plate readers and growing scrutiny over data access. The report included Hawley's statement that Congress never authorised the network and that the company's internal policies are the main safeguards for Americans' privacy. It also mentioned the St. Charles County Police decision to stop using Flock technology after a civilian improperly accessed data, and that St. Louis County Police were restricting access to license plate reader technology."],"right":["The right-rated reports focused on Senator Josh Hawley launching an investigation into Flock Safety over surveillance concerns. Multiple reports highlighted Hawley's statement that Congress never authorised the network and that the company's internal policies are the only safeguards for Americans' data. Some reports mentioned Hawley's request for internal records from the company, detailing its roughly 120,000 devices. The Independent Journal Review also included details from Hawley's letter about specific instances of alleged misuse, such as an officer searching his girlfriend's license plate multiple times and a case where a driver faced charges for a crime she did not commit. This report also noted legislative efforts by other Republican representatives to ban or restrict the use of such cameras."],"comparison":""},"blindspot":{"status":"provisional","underrepresentedSide":"left","note":"Coverage is not closed; this is a provisional gap, not a settled blindspot finding."},"sourceFactualityDistribution":{"low":1,"mixed":3,"high":4,"veryHigh":1},"ownershipDistribution":{"privateEquity":5,"mediaConglomerate":3,"billionaire":3,"independent":2,"other":1,"corporation":7},"firstDatedReport":{"sourceName":"Independent Journal Review","url":"https://ijr.com/article/josh-hawley-launches-investigation-into-flock-over-surveillance-concerns","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T12:00:00.000Z"},"countries":[{"country":"New York, New York, United States","count":2},{"country":"Washington, District of Columbia, United States","count":2},{"country":"Alexandria, Virginia, United States","count":1},{"country":"Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida, United States","count":1},{"country":"United States","count":1},{"country":"Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, Florida, United States","count":1},{"country":"Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States","count":1}],"outlets":[{"name":"Independent Journal Review","url":"https://ijr.com/article/josh-hawley-launches-investigation-into-flock-over-surveillance-concerns","headline":"Josh Hawley Launches Investigation Into Flock Over Surveillance Concerns","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T12:00:00.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"right","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Alexandria, Virginia, United States","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"The Free Press (Tampa)","url":"https://tampafp.com/missouri-sen-josh-hawley-probes-flock-safety-over-camera-network","headline":"Missouri Sen. 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