Florida and Texas Move to Remove Flock Surveillance Cameras Over Privacy and Misuse Concerns
September 2026 saw Florida and Texas move to drop Flock license-plate readers over privacy and misuse. Florida DOT ordered removal from state highways within 30 days after Ron DeSantis called it “out of control”; Texas halted funding after a Lufkin officer was indicted on 100 felony counts over alleged unauthorized database tracking in the ~130,000-camera network.
Florida and Texas are both moving to end their use of Flock’s license plate reader cameras, citing privacy violations, data misuse, and civil liberties concerns. The decisions, announced in September 2026, affect one of the largest surveillance networks in the United States, which currently operates around 130,000 cameras nationwide.
Florida’s Department of Transportation issued a memo ordering the removal of license plate readers — including Flock cameras — from state highways within 30 days, citing “concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns, and surveillance schemes.” The announcement followed remarks by Governor Ron DeSantis, who called the technology “out of control” at a press conference the previous week.
Texas acted first, ordering state agencies to stop funding Flock cameras. Governor Greg Abbott’s office pointed to specific abuses, including the indictment of a Lufkin, Texas police officer on 100 felony counts for allegedly using Flock’s database to track individuals without authorization. Local reports indicate Dallas could be significantly affected, with hundreds of Flock cameras operating throughout the city.
The moves reflect broader bipartisan concerns over how Flock’s technology is being used. Reports have surfaced of police officers abusing database access to stalk former partners, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and accuracy problems that have led to wrongful arrests. There are also reports that Flock cameras are expanding beyond license plate scanning to identify and track individuals more broadly.
Flock has faced community-level resistance as well. Several municipalities — including Evanston, Illinois; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Eugene, Oregon — say the company reinstalled or reactivated cameras even after local officials terminated their contracts.
TechCrunch asked Flock whether it would allow Florida and Texas to remove the cameras or whether it might reactivate them, as it has done in other cities. A company spokesperson did not respond to the request for comment.