Texas freezes state funding for Flock's AI surveillance cameras
Governor Greg Abbott halted state spending on Flock cameras just before a Texas Tribune investigation revealed the state had spent over $30 million on them.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has frozen state spending on Flock's AI surveillance cameras. The decision came just ahead of the publication of a Texas Tribune investigation showing the state had spent more than $30 million on the cameras.
According to The Verge, that money was raised primarily by adding a $1 fee to insurance policies, a charge justified at the time as a way to help fight catalytic converter theft.
Growing backlash
Flock cameras have drawn criticism from across the political spectrum as privacy concerns mount. The report notes multiple incidents of officers being placed on leave or criminally charged for misusing Flock systems, including at least six in Texas alone.
The company has also faced scrutiny over its data-sharing practices, the placement of some cameras near playgrounds, its own employees' access to video feeds, unsecured feeds, and its attempts to avoid transparency.
Contracts cancelled
In recent months, cities around the country have been cancelling their Flock contracts, including many in Texas. Abbott's opponent in the governor's race, Gina Hinojosa, has criticised him for expanding the use of the cameras in the state. Representative Keith Self wrote on Instagram: "From Flock cameras to kill switches, we will NOT surrender our Fourth Amendment rights to the growing surveillance state."
Full details are available in The Verge's report.
