Opposition to camera surveillance spreads across the United States

Resistance to Flock Safety’s surveillance cameras is spreading across the United States, crossing the country’s usual partisan divide.

The company has faced growing criticism for years, but opposition has now intensified among cities, police departments, residents and politicians. The disputes stretch from Massachusetts in the Northeast to Washington state in the Northwest and Texas in the South.

Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott has opposed the cameras, as has Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. The company’s AI-powered systems have become a target for critics in both parties.

The backlash has also included criminal allegations. A Tennessee politician who is running in November’s congressional election was arrested in July on suspicion of shooting down four cameras.

In August, the city government of Temple, Arizona, announced that it would shut down the city’s entire Flock system and remove the cameras.