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Cut the cameras: Flock surveillance cameras spur rare bipartisan backlash

The Guardian — Tech · · International · AI Governance

Flock Safety, a company that makes automated license plate reader cameras used widely by law enforcement, is facing pushback from both Republican and Democratic politicians as public opposition to its surveillance network grows. The backlash is unusual given current political divisions, and polling suggests most Americans are uneasy with expanding surveillance infrastructure.

Why this matters: Flock cameras are not just dashcams. They build a permanent, searchable record of where your car goes, shared across police departments and private networks. Most people had no vote on whether one went up in their neighborhood. When left and right agree something has gone too far, that is worth paying attention to. The real issue is who controls the data, how long it is kept, and what happens when it gets misused. Right now, those answers are mostly up to Flock and whoever buys its product.

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This summary is AI-assisted and may contain errors. It is an original briefing to help you gauge significance quickly — not a reproduction of the source. Always read the linked original before relying on it. See our methodology.

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