Comment Re:No government surveillance without a warrant (Score 1) 76
Police generally don't need a warrant to request security camera footage or obtain it voluntarily. They need a warrant to compel the owner to give it to them.
Whether the owner volunteers footage and under what conditions they do so is pretty much up to them. Ring used to be pretty free about it but clamped down when it became controversial. Public sources like traffic cameras are likewise up to the public agency or government that owns them and they often have privacy laws or policies that might require warrants.
Flock is obviously motivated to cooperate with police requests since that's the service they're providing. It isn't "the way it's always been" but the OP's suggestion of requiring warrants could be easily implemented. Tapping phones without a warrant was perfectly legal in the US until it became a problem and a law was passed.