[REVISION HISTORY]

Flock Safety surveillance controversy widens

Updated 7 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-07-31 20:18 UTC → 2026-08-01 00:12 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The debate over Flock Safety’s AI‑driven ALPR network has intensified. After the Taos Town Council diverted $54,000 away from renewing an 18‑camera Flock contract on 28 July 2026, the town joined more than 50 U.S. municipalities that have cancelled or rejected Flock deals since mid‑2024, often moving to Axon’s ALPR‑enabled equipment. Flock’s deployment now exceeds 120,000 devices across 49 states, serving over 6,000 communities. The company raised $275 million last year, reaching a $7.5 billion valuation, while critics point to privacy concerns and alleged misuse. In late July 2026, residents of New Bedford, Massachusetts, gathered to demand the removal of 20 Flock cameras installed without public input, echoing protests in northern New York, Oakland, and Idaho. The same week, two Alabama police departments faced disciplinary actions after officers misused the system to monitor a family member and to violate camera‑use policies, prompting referrals to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. One officer resigned, another was terminated, but police leaders reiterated the technology’s investigative value when governed by clear policies. Civil‑rights groups such as the ACLU and EFF argue that the newly unveiled autonomous “Alpha” drone, capable of reading plates from 2,000 feet, creates a nationwide mass‑surveillance network. Lawmakers in Delaware and at the federal level have introduced bills to regulate or limit the technology, while more than 95 U.S. cities have already disabled or cancelled contracts. On 31 July 2026, the Idaho Falls City Council voted unanimously to amend its contract with Flock Safety, barring the company from using locally captured data to train AI models. The amendment preserves law‑enforcement access for investigations and traffic‑flow analysis but requires stricter documentation of data access and opens a review of alternative camera systems.

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