Key facts
- Senator Bernie Sanders will introduce legislation to curb surveillance technology.
- The legislation targets Flock Safety, a company using AI-powered cameras.
- Sanders warned of a potential shift toward a surveillance state and totalitarianism.
- Flock has installed over 120,000 cameras that scan billions of vehicles monthly.
- Newer Flock models can reportedly link vehicle images with personal databases.
- A bipartisan backlash against Flock Safety is growing, with some local contracts canceled.
Senator Bernie Sanders has pledged to introduce legislation aimed at curbing the use of surveillance technology, specifically targeting Flock Safety, a company that utilizes AI-powered cameras. Sanders expressed strong concerns that the unchecked expansion of such tracking technologies could lead the United States toward a "surveillance state" and ultimately totalitarianism.
In a post on X, Sanders stated that Flock Safety has deployed over 120,000 AI cameras across more than 6,000 communities, which collectively scan approximately 20 billion vehicles each month. He further elaborated that newer models of Flock's cameras possess the capability to integrate vehicle image data with databases containing phone numbers, relatives, and court records, thereby enabling the identification of individuals and their movements. Sanders argued that the pervasive nature of this technology intrudes upon daily life, logging activities such as taking children to school or attending medical appointments.
Sanders' initiative aligns with a growing bipartisan opposition to Flock Safety's technology. Representative Thomas Massie is reportedly planning to introduce legislation that would withhold federal funding from agencies employing these cameras. Additionally, several local governments, including those in Los Angeles and Monroe County, Indiana, have already suspended or canceled their contracts with Flock due to privacy concerns. Activists in various states have also reportedly vandalized or disabled the devices.
Flock Safety, founded in 2017, asserts that its cameras do not employ facial recognition and typically retain footage for 30 days. CEO Garrett Langley has defended the technology, suggesting that critics often misunderstand its primary function of photographing vehicles. He has also apologized for previously characterizing anti-Flock activists as a "terroristic organization." Langley recently suggested a need for compromise on privacy, prioritizing safety over surveillance concerns. The company has recently expanded its operations, including a nationwide plate-scanning fleet involving Uber drivers and a tool for police to track drivers.