Abbott Orders Texas Agencies to Halt Flock Camera Funding
The pause follows scrutiny of at least $30 million in state grants for the AI-powered surveillance network and reports of misuse by Texas agencies.
- Gov. Greg Abbott ordered all state agencies to pause funding for Flock Safety cameras Thursday night, with spokesman Andrew Mahaleris confirming state funds cannot support these AI-powered systems.
- Reports of misuse have exploded, with officers in police departments across Texas facing investigations in the past month. Earlier this week, Democratic Rep. Gina Hinojosa released an ad demanding Abbott "stop turning Texas into a surveillance state."
- The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority has helped agencies install at least 3,200 Flock cameras since 2023. A state agency devoted at least $30 million to these grants, while the Department of Public Safety signed a three-year, $15.9 million contract.
- Abbott described a "crackdown" as cities cancel contracts with Flock Safety. The company stated it supports "thoughtful legislation" with privacy guardrails that preserve officers' use for public safety.
- Republican Rep. Keith Self proposed federal legislation requiring warrants before accessing data from these devices. Self argued the "Fourth Amendment right to be secure in their privacy does not disappear just because of new technology or artificial intelligence.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Abbott Halts Texas Funding for Flock Surveillance Cameras
Austin, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered Texas state agencies to stop using state funds for Flock Safety cameras as scrutiny grows over privacy concerns and alleged misuse of the automated license-plate reader network. Abbott’s office confirmed the order Friday, saying agencies were clarifying that state money could no longer be used for Flock cameras. The decision came as The Texas Tribune was preparing an investigation showing that a state…
Greg Abbott Blocks Funding for Flock Cameras
“Republicans and Democrats once praised Flock Safety as a protection tool for American communities. Now politicians across the political spectrum are turning against the mass-surveillance technology,” the Washington Post reports. “Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) froze state spending this week on the shoebox-size cameras that have proliferated across the nation.” NOTUS: What the Flock?
Texas Gov Halts State Funding For Flock Cameras
The Texas Tribune reports: Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered all state agencies to pause funding for Flock cameras as scrutiny over the AI-powered surveillance devices has mounted. The order came as The Texas Tribune was preparing to publish an investigation detailing how a state agency has devoted at least $30 million to building up the … The post Texas Gov Halts State Funding For Flock Cameras appeared first on Joe.My.God..
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott moves to cut state funding for AI-powered Flock cameras amid privacy concerns – Democratic Accent
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies to pause funding Thursday for AI-powered Flock cameras,... The post Texas Gov. Greg Abbott moves to cut state funding for AI-powered Flock cameras amid privacy concerns appeared first on Democratic Accent .
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