Critics Turn the Lens Back On Flock’s Surveillance Cameras

Darth Vader may be one of the only supporters of Flock cameras going viral on social media. Backlash is building against the controversial tech, as people online and in local council meetings across the country tell the company to flock off.

Disgruntled folks that disagree with the Sith Lord have taken matters into their own handsaws, destroying or blocking the AI-powered surveillance cameras. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have spoken out against the tech. 

Flock Safety, the startup that’s been installing the cameras at a rapid clip, seems to think people are viewing its tech through a too-narrow lens. 

Good Samaritan or Sauron?

Flock raised $500 million in its latest funding round for a valuation of $8.3 billion, backed by VC firms including a16z and Tiger Global, Fortune reported. The nine-year-old startup said its tech is used by more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies, who’ve tapped its cameras to aid 1 million police investigations and find about 10,000 missing persons. 

More than 130,000 AI-powered cameras are active in the US, according to the tracking group DeFlock, of which the vast majority are Flock cameras. Critics think that’s 130,000 too many:

• Flock cameras being used for their intended purpose are already divisive for their privacy implications, with some saying they violate constitutional rights. But beyond that, critics are calling attention to how the cameras have been misused, including by police officers who’ve tapped the tech to stalk ex-partners. Others have raised cybersecurity concerns about the potential for the cameras to be hacked.
• Flock CEO Garrett Langley told Fox News over the weekend that he thinks people who talk about just privacy or safety are “prioritizing the wrong thing” and that “what we have to prioritize as a country is compromise.” Despite holding its ground, Flock this month reduced how long its cameras retain data by default from 30 days to 7 and rolled out an audit tool meant to root out bad actors. The company also patched cybersecurity vulnerabilities. 

AI Angst: The updates are too little, too late in at least 100 cities that have already blocked Flock and its competitors by shutting down cameras or canceling contracts. Backlash against Flock has been brewing for years but seems to just now be boiling over. The timing feels like a catalyst: AI sentiment, at least for some, seems to have shifted from optimism to hostility as people protest data centers and speak out against everything from AI’s water-guzzling ways to waves of AI-related layoffs.