@crooked.ideas: All eight Flock cameras in the Minnesota city of Winona were cut down in a single night last week, in a reflection of the growing backlash to the AI-powered surveillance these cameras facilitate. Law enforcement agencies use these cameras to track vehicles, tapping into a network of over 120,000 cameras sold by Flock Safety that the company says are installed across the country. Flock Safety has racked up a $7.5 billion valuation, and police claim the cameras allow crimes to be solved. But privacy advocates have major concerns. They cite the cases of stalking and harassment by police officers that the cameras have enabled, which were recently reported on by the Washington Post; a lack of accuracy in identifying cars and license plates, which have already contributed to wrongful traffic stops and false arrests; plus reports from 404 Media indicating that local law enforcement agencies have shared Flock data with ICE to assist in Trump's deportation efforts. All this, plus more general privacy concerns, have led dozens of U.S. cities to cancel, non-renew, or reject Flock cameras since the start of the year.

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Monday 10 August 2026 15:00:26 GMT