Flock Partnered With Nonprofit That Uses AI to Rally Public Support

Facing Outraged Residents, Flock Got Help From Group That Uses AI to Rally Public Support

A solar-powered Flock Safety automated license plate reader (ALPR) camera operates near a commercial parking lot in Saratoga Springs, Utah, United States, on September 8, 2026. Thousands of law enforcement agencies nationwide deploy these machine-learning networks to track vehicle data for criminal investigations, drawing scrutiny from civil liberty groups over expanding automated surveillance grids. (Photo by Charles-McClintock Wilson/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Beset by critics in Knoxville, Flock partnered with a nonprofit accused of “astroturfing” for a campaign to generate support for its surveillance cameras.