Texas Governor Abbott freezes funding for additional Flock cameras

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has frozen state spending on additional Flock AI surveillance cameras as criticism of the technology mounts across the political spectrum.

The decision came shortly before a Texas Tribune investigation revealed the state had already spent more than $30 million on Flock cameras. Most of that funding came from a $1 fee added to insurance policies, which was ostensibly meant to help combat catalytic converter theft.

Growing bipartisan pushback

Flock cameras have drawn increasing criticism over privacy concerns. Multiple officers have been placed on leave or criminally charged for misusing the systems, with at least six such cases reported in Texas alone. The company has also faced scrutiny over its data-sharing practices, the placement of some cameras near playgrounds, employee access to video feeds, unsecured feeds, and clumsy attempts to avoid transparency.

In recent months, cities across the country — including several in Texas — have canceled their contracts with Flock. Abbott's Democratic gubernatorial opponent, Gina Hinojosa, has criticized him for expanding camera use in the state, while Republican Representative Keith Self has publicly vowed not to surrender Fourth Amendment rights to what he called a growing surveillance state. Online, celebrating the destruction of Flock cameras has become something of a unifying pastime across political lines.