Abbott Freezes $30 Million in Texas Flock Camera Spending as Bipartisan Backlash Grows
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Aug 30
Abbott Freezes $30 Million in Texas Flock Camera Spending as Bipartisan Backlash Grows
3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Aug 30
Summary
$30 million in Texas spending on Flock AI surveillance cameras was frozen by Gov. Greg Abbott just before a Texas Tribune investigation detailed the state's outlays.
A $1 fee added to insurance policies funded most of the program, which was pitched as a tool to combat catalytic-converter theft.
At least six Texas cases of alleged misuse by officers, along with broader privacy and data-sharing concerns, have fueled criticism of Flock across party lines.
Cities in Texas and elsewhere have already been canceling Flock contracts, widening pressure on Abbott as opponents and fellow Republicans attack the cameras as part of a growing surveillance state.