SFPD drone livestreams exposed operations online for months, investigation shows
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A WIRED investigation published Monday found that live feeds from San Francisco Police Department drones were accessible online for months through an improperly secured web link, allowing anyone with the address to watch police operations as they unfolded.
According to the report, the exposed livestreams showed officers tracking suspects, searching neighborhoods and responding to calls across San Francisco.
In a statement, SFPD said the link was intended for law enforcement use only and was not authorized to be shared with the public.
"The link was improperly obtained and accessed by individuals without authorization," the department said.
SFPD said it immediately disabled the link after learning of the issue and implemented more restrictive sharing protocols. The department said it has no information indicating anyone other than the researchers accessed the live feeds, and that the matter remains under investigation.
MORE: SFPD credits surveillance drones with aiding crime decline but some have privacy concerns
SFPD said drones are only authorized for use in active criminal investigations, to assist with or replace vehicle pursuits, and for training exercises.
Skydio, the San Mateo-based company that manufactures the drones, said law enforcement agencies control the security settings for shared livestream links.
"Customer organizations need to choose for themselves the right balance between security and accessibility when creating and sharing ReadyLinks," the company said in a statement.
Skydio said agencies determine which drones can be viewed through a link, how long a link remains active and whether a PIN code is required for access.
The exposure comes as SFPD's drone program continues to expand. The department launched its "Drones as First Responders" program in 2024 after San Francisco voters approved Proposition E. Since then, drone deployments have grown from dozens of flights per month to more than 600 monthly deployments by February.
MORE: A look at SFPD's new drone program and how it's reshaping the department's response to incidents
Just two months ago, ABC7 Eyewitness News was given an inside look at the program, showing how operators use live video to help officers track suspects and respond to emergencies. In one incident observed, a drone tracked a reported stolen vehicle through city streets and guided undercover officers until they moved in.
The WIRED investigation found drone deployments included not only active investigations but also responses to suspicious-person calls that did not lead to arrests or criminal activity.
Privacy advocates said the report raises broader concerns about police surveillance and oversight.
"I think surveillance has gone way too far," said Nicholas Hidalgo, senior staff attorney for the ACLU of Northern California.
Hidalgo said the incident highlights concerns about the collection and use of information gathered through surveillance technologies.
"We collect a ton of information about people, and once it is collected, it is really hard to control how it is used," Hidalgo said.
He also questioned the continued expansion of surveillance tools.
"All this information is being gathered by existing technology, and still people are pushing for more and more surveillance technology. I think we need to press pause and assess what we already have, and force our policymakers to explain to us why they are making us safer," Hidalgo said.
Beryl Lipton, a senior investigative researcher with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said the report illustrates the scope of police drone deployments.
"I think it also highlights the extent to which the surveillance is occurring. A lot of drone-as-first-responder deployments are not about an active investigation. They are about responding to any call for service that might be coming in," Lipton said.
She also said the incident raises concerns about public awareness of surveillance practices.
"This also highlights the extent to which surveillance can occur without individuals understanding that they are actively under police surveillance," Lipton said.
The incident comes amid a broader national debate over police surveillance technologies. A recent ACLU report warned that law enforcement agencies are rapidly expanding surveillance capabilities while oversight and transparency measures struggle to keep pace.
Under California's AB 481, SFPD is required to publicly report how it uses drones and review the program annually. Critics argue that as drone technology and surveillance capabilities evolve, privacy and security protections must evolve as well.
