A major security lapse has exposed hours of live surveillance footage from the San Francisco Police Department’s drone program.
The footage offers a rare glimpse into the scale of aerial policing now taking place over one of America’s largest cities.
According to WIRED, two cybersecurity researchers discovered that live feeds from five SFPD drones had been publicly accessible through a web link generated by drone manufacturer Skydio.
The stream reportedly remained exposed for months before it was taken offline.
The leaked footage showed drones tracking suspects through city streets, monitoring apartment buildings, following vehicles, and assisting officers during arrests and investigations.
In one example, multiple drones tracked a suspect across San Francisco before officers surrounded and arrested him following what police described as an alleged vehicle theft-related incident.
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