tech
Cities terminate Flock contracts at record pace in August
New data compiled by a Bay Area anti-surveillance advocacy group shows that not only are American localities dropping cameras from Flock Safety, but they are doing it at an accelerating rate.
TL;DR
- American cities are canceling Flock Safety contracts at an accelerating rate.
- Reasons for termination include concerns about out-of-control surveillance, unwanted data sharing, high expenses, and police misuse of the tool.
- An advocacy group has recorded 214 cities and counties dropping Flock since 2021, with a significant increase in August 2026.
- Flock Safety claims new partnerships still outpace non-renewals and states its products are trusted by over 5,000 communities.
- Flock has made privacy-focused changes, such as reducing data retention defaults to seven days and prohibiting misuse in its terms of service.
- Political scrutiny has increased, with a senator investigating Flock's data practices and a governor calling the cameras "out of control" following police misuse incidents.
- Experts note the potential for AI-powered license plate readers to become a mass surveillance dragnet.