Rep. Thomas Massie announced on Saturday his plan to introduce legislation aimed at halting federal funding for local governments and police departments that utilize Flock Safety’s controversial security cameras. The Kentucky Republican’s proposal targets the Atlanta-based company’s smart cameras, which have the capability to identify vehicles using unique features such as dents, bumper stickers, and roof racks. Massie, a Libertarian, is sponsoring this bill to reinforce the Fourth Amendment, which guards against unreasonable searches and governmental surveillance.
“I’ll soon be sponsoring a bill to withhold federal money from municipalities and police departments that deploy Flock (and other style) cameras to surveil law-abiding citizens,” Massie stated. He also shared his comments on X, accompanied by a parody flag reading “don’t flock on me.”
Since 2018, Flock has quietly become a favored tool for law enforcement, integrating into over 5,000 police agencies nationwide with nearly 90,000 cameras, according to DeFlock, a group that monitors the company’s growth and surveillance activities.
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley has defended the cameras as essential for modern policing, aiding in crime-solving, vehicle recovery, gunshot location, suspect tracking, and Amber Alerts. However, critics argue that these cameras represent a “Big Brother”-style surveillance system, with billions of monthly license plate readings entering shared police databases.
The introduction of Massie’s bill coincides with the arrest of 18 officers in Georgia for misusing Flock Safety camera data, including a supervisor who tracked her boyfriend. Additionally, there is a rising trend of anti-Flock activists vandalizing these cameras, such as a recent incident in Connecticut where four cameras were destroyed.
A representative from Flock Safety argued that Massie’s bill could negatively impact public safety. The company claims to have contributed to over 1 million investigations, played a role in solving 20% of cases in its partner jurisdictions, and helped locate more than 10,000 missing persons. “Rather than banning a critical public safety tool, Congress should consider strong, clear safeguards that ensure accountability, oversight, and responsible use are enshrined in law,” the spokesperson commented. “We do not have to choose between protecting privacy and giving law enforcement the tools it needs to keep communities safe,” the representative added. “We can — and should — do both.”
