Joshua Michael is a cybersecurity researcher and founder of Nexanet and Dataminimal. His work covers digital privacy, surveillance systems and security vulnerabilities. He also teaches cybersecurity and digital privacy online.
Case
Flock Safety demands that Joshua Michael remove his surveillance map and related material. Michael calls the legal pressure a threat to public-interest research. Named participants disagree over whether the publication deserves protection or enforcement.
Role at the time: Cybersecurity researcher and map publisher
Statement summary
Michael rejects Flock's legal pressure and argues that his research exposes a security risk in the company's surveillance infrastructure.
“I'm not backing down”
The reference point is whether Flock should require Michael to remove his surveillance-camera map and related material. Michael said Flock sent him a cease-and-desist letter, called Flock's customer email a confirmation of his thesis and said he is not backing down. That rejects the demand and fits Condemned. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization, which would fit a dispute over how Flock describes him without rejecting compliance.
Statement dates: October 1, 2026
Statement dates: October 1, 2026
