Florida and Texas Ban Flock Surveillance Cameras Over Privacy and Misuse Concerns

The states of Florida and Texas are moving to sever ties with surveillance giant Flock amid growing backlash over privacy concerns and the misuse of its tracking technology. Florida’s Department of Transportation announced it will stop using license plate readers on state highways, citing "concerning reports of misuse" and "surveillance schemes." The state has ordered the removal of these cameras within 30 days. This decision follows remarks by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who characterized the technology as being "out of control." Similarly, Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s office directed state agencies to cease funding Flock cameras, citing abuses of the system. This includes a recent case where a Texas police officer was indicted on 100 felony counts for allegedly using the database to track individuals without authorization. The crackdown reflects rising bipartisan concerns over civil liberties and cybersecurity. Reports have surfaced of police officers abusing database access to stalk individuals, as well as technical inaccuracies leading to wrongful arrests. Furthermore, recent findings indicate that Flock’s technology is expanding beyond license plate scanning to actively identify and track people, prompting several U.S. towns to reject or remove the systems from their neighborhoods.