Additional Coverage:
- Hawley rips Flock’s sprawling surveillance web as Texas cities cut cameras over privacy and data fears (foxnews.com)
Senator Josh Hawley is calling for clarity from Flock Safety regarding its widespread network of AI-driven surveillance cameras, as privacy concerns prompt multiple communities nationwide to reconsider their use of the technology.
Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, highlighted the scale of Flock Safety’s system, which reportedly includes over 120,000 cameras across 49 states and processes more than 20 billion vehicle scans monthly. “Flock has assembled an unprecedented national surveillance network,” he told Fox News Digital.
“I’m investigating Flock cameras to determine who has access to hundreds of millions of Americans’ data and what they’re doing with it. Americans deserve answers.”
The controversy centers on Flock’s automated license plate reader cameras, which use artificial intelligence to identify vehicles by license plate, make, model, and color. The data is marketed to law enforcement agencies, businesses, and homeowners associations to aid crime investigations. However, privacy advocates warn that such extensive surveillance risks creating a searchable national database of individuals’ movements without proper oversight.
Robert Frommer, director of the Institute for Justice’s Project on the Fourth Amendment, emphasized the need for judicial oversight. “The No. 1 reform that I think is needed here is a warrant,” Frommer said. He acknowledged that police should have the ability to act immediately in emergencies but stressed that warrantless, retrospective tracking of people’s movements on a large scale is problematic.
Hawley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, formally initiated an inquiry by sending a letter to Flock CEO Garrett Langley. He expressed concern that the network goes beyond traditional localized investigations and instead pools data into a national database searchable by customers.
Flock Safety has responded by stating it is cooperating with the investigation and highlighted built-in safeguards and legitimate law enforcement uses of the technology. Spokesperson Paris Lewbel noted that agencies control their data-sharing settings and can modify them at any time.
Despite these assurances, several cities and counties are distancing themselves from Flock amid growing apprehension. Pflugerville, Texas, recently voted unanimously to end its contract with Flock and deactivate all 28 cameras, citing a loss of confidence in the company’s ability to uphold privacy and data standards. Pflugerville’s mayor emphasized that public safety must be balanced with public trust.
Similarly, Hood County, Texas, disconnected and covered its Flock cameras, with local officials condemning the warrantless, continuous tracking as incompatible with a free society. Tempe, Arizona, also discontinued its Flock system and plans no replacement, despite acknowledging the technology’s utility in solving crimes.
The debate over Flock’s surveillance technology reflects broader constitutional concerns about mass data collection and individual privacy rights. Advocates stress that while license plate readers can be valuable investigative tools, robust legal safeguards-including warrants and transparency-are essential regardless of the technology provider.
As scrutiny intensifies, lawmakers and communities alike are grappling with how to balance public safety needs with protecting Americans’ privacy in the era of advanced surveillance technologies.