Cities Tear Down AI Cameras Over Massive Privacy Violations

Two more cities are canceling their contract with Flock Safety and taking down their surveillance cameras.

There has been a tremendous backlash against law enforcement using these cameras, which use artificial intelligence to gather data on motorists traveling through certain areas.

From The Hill:

Two Phoenix, Ariz. suburbs became the latest municipalities Wednesday to terminate their contracts with Flock Safety, cancelling their use of the company’s automated license plate readers (ALPRs) that have drawn widespread privacy concerns.

The city of Tempe, which had an $80,000 contract with the company, said it would turn off all of its Flock cameras due to mounting reports of data “misuse” in other regions. Three hours later, the nearby town of Cave Creek also announced it had ended its contract with Flock and completely removed the technology.

“While the cameras have been a useful tool for Tempe … recent cases involving the misuse of automated license plate reader systems in Arizona and nationwide have raised concerns about the risks that come with the technology,” Tempe wrote in a press release posted to social platform X.

The nearby town similarly wrote on X, “In light of several high-profile abuse cases reported locally and nationally, as well as a recent theft of a FLOCK camera … staff determined it was in the best interest of the community to discontinue the system.”

Activists in 23 states have started tearing Flock cameras down and over 20 jurisdictions have canceled outright.

That’s what happens when the state builds something nobody consented to. pic.twitter.com/VXi1ViB98w

— Free Talk Live (@FreeTalkLive) August 17, 2026

In its announcement, Tempe explained that “The cameras are no longer collecting license plate data, and Tempe will not seek another company to replace the system.”

While the cameras have helped Tempe Police solve crimes, recent misuse of automated license plate reader systems in Arizona and nationwide has raised concerns about the risks that come with the technology.

Tempe Police has found no misuse of its own Flock system.

Flock will remove its cameras, and previously collected data will be automatically deleted after 30 days unless it is connected to an ongoing case or investigation.

Tempe has turned off its Flock automated license plate reader system and will end its contract with the company. The cameras are no longer collecting license plate data, and Tempe will not seek another company to replace the system.

While the cameras have helped Tempe Police… pic.twitter.com/sFqfpOPiqd

— City of Tempe, AZ (@Tempegov) August 26, 2026

There have been a myriad of reports about police officers using the license plate readers to spy on romantic partners and others instead of limiting their activity to criminal cases. A Washington Post report showed that the authorities have charged or accused at least 50 officers of using the cameras for unauthorized purposes.

Milwaukee officer Josue Ayala used the cameras to look up his romantic partner 124 times and the partner’s ex 55 times. He resigned before pleading guilty. 

Officer Asad Zahir in Shively, Kentucky, was arrested after investigators found that he ran 2,048 Flock searches between January and May on two vehicles tied to the mother of his child.

And these are only the cases we know about. There are likely far more officers abusing these systems who have not yet been caught.

This has prompted many cities to cancel their contracts with Flock Safety. The systems have been ripe for abuse without any clear indication that they are reducing crime rates.

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