Texas Governor Abbott freezes state spending on Flock AI surveillance cameras
The move follows a Texas Tribune investigation revealing $30 million in state spending and mounting bipartisan concerns over privacy and misuse.
What happened
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has frozen state spending on Flock's AI surveillance cameras ahead of publication of a Texas Tribune investigation that revealed the state spent over $30 million on the systems. The funding was primarily raised through a $1 fee added to insurance policies, allegedly to support catalytic converter theft prevention. The decision comes as multiple incidents of officer misuse have occurred in Texas, with at least six cases resulting in officers being placed on leave or criminally charged.
Context
Flock cameras have drawn backlash across the political spectrum over privacy concerns, data-sharing practices, camera placement near playgrounds, unsecured video feeds, and insufficient transparency efforts. Multiple cities nationwide, including several in Texas, have been canceling contracts with Flock. The issue has created unusual bipartisan opposition: Abbott's Democratic opponent Gina Hinojosa has criticized his prior expansion of the cameras, while Republican representative Keith Self has invoked Fourth Amendment concerns and warned against a 'growing surveillance state.' Abbott's funding freeze signals a significant shift in state policy on the surveillance technology.