Colorado woman sues Flock and police over ‘Orwellian’ surveillance one year after being falsely accused of theft: ‘Utterly disturbing and very creepy’

The Columbine Valley Police Department, like other law enforcement, uses Flock’s cameras to monitor public spaces and track vehicles.

“We have cameras everywhere in that town, you can’t get a breath of fresh air without us knowing,” Milliman said in the body camera footage, per 9News.

But as it turns out, Elser was wrongly accused and was able to prove her innocence by sharing her cell phone data and footage from her Rivian truck in question.

“We really just need to rein this in, I mean, it’s just utterly disturbing and very creepy on what this is happening in our society,” Elser told the news outlet.

The Columbine Valley Police Department did not immediately respond to Moneywise’s request for comment.

‘Orwellian’ surveillance

Elser told 9News she tried to clear her name on the spot by offering to show MIlliman video from her truck, which proved she was visiting a nearby tailor to be fitted for a gown. According to the lawsuit, Milliman would not let her show him the footage.

She said she spent weeks worried that the citation would impact her employment. Elser was nearly put on administrative leave by her job, according to ABC News. On Oct. 15, 2025, the summons was dropped, but police did not answer requests by Elser to see the video evidence they said they had.

Today, Elser is more aware of Flock cameras and the information they collect on private citizens. A Flock camera in Bow Mar, where she lives, is pointed directly at her driveway.

“I had no idea the Flock cameras existed and no idea a private company was keeping a record of every time I drove past my own neighborhood, or that any officer could pull it up without asking anyone or giving a reason for doing so,” Elser said in a statement. “If it can happen to me, it can happen to you.”

Elser’s attorney, Andy McNulty, said he intends for the case to become a class action suit against Flock.

“It’s about Orwellian surveillance technology,” McNulty told 9News. “It’s a class of people who have had their privacy invaded by this technology.”

McNulty responded to Moneywise’s request for comment and referred us to the press release put out alongside the lawsuit.

Flock cameras continue to raise privacy concerns

For its part, Flock says it’s done nothing wrong in this case. The company told multiple publications, including Moneywise, that its systems did what they are supposed to do in identifying the location of Elser’s vehicle.

“Law enforcement retained responsibility for interpreting and weighing that information as part of the broader investigation,” a Flock spokesperson said. Flock also said it “intends to vigorously defend itself in this litigation.”