Why we love to hate Flock

The surveillance state has crept up around us, but in at least one instance, its integration into society has prompted a backlash. Flock Safety has managed to make automated license plate readers (ALPRs), cameras that record the license plate and other characteristics of every vehicle that passes them, a hot-button issue across the United States. More than 50 agencies or jurisdictions have canceled, suspended, or rejected Flock contracts, or deactivated its cameras, since the start of 2026. The…