Behind Austin's Flock blowback
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Activists and citizens in Central Texas and elsewhere are pushing back against license plate readers made by Flock and similar companies, fueled by privacy concerns and suspected police misuse.
Why it matters: Flock cameras are suddenly a big target of populist anti-tech, pro-privacy sentiment, alongside the data centers fueling the AI boom.
The big picture: Flock has over 120,000 cameras across the country, the company tells Axios.
- Advocates say the cameras help quickly track down criminals, making cities safer.
- Opponents from across the political spectrum say they're a form of constant surveillance that infringes on residents' civil liberties. Some have even turned to sabotaging the cameras.
How it works: Flock and other automated license plate reader cameras are placed on streets and highways and use AI to capture and store information like car license plates, car make and other features.
Zoom in: The city of Austin's contract with Flock expired last year and it was not renewed.
- But Mayor Kirk Watson said in May that the tech could have helped police more quickly track down three suspects tied to a citywide shooting spree.
- An Austin Police spokesperson tells Axios that "there may be situations where APD requests assistance from peer law enforcement agencies" that involve Flock data.
The intrigue: Earlier this month, Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd directed that all of the Flock cameras in the county be removed after several cameras were vandalized and residents voiced concerns surrounding usage.
- Also this month, the cities of Lago Vista and Pflugerville, as well as Pflugerville ISD, opted to discontinue use of its Flock cameras.
- "Public safety and public trust have to go hand in hand, and recent revelations about the Flock system have fueled concerns throughout the community; we can't engage with organizations we can't trust," Pflugerville Mayor Doug Weiss said in a social media post.
- Meanwhile, a Temple police officer resigned this month after an internal investigation into the unauthorized use of the department's automatic license plate reader system, officials announced.
The other side: Flock said that it's improving its privacy, security and accountability features.