Data centers are the backbone of the surveillance state
The short version: A Georgia state senate candidate argues data centers are the physical infrastructure quietly powering ALPR networks, cloud storage, and the broader surveillance economy.
Our Take
Alec Miller, running for Georgia State Senate District 31, makes a point we think gets overlooked constantly: surveillance isn't just cameras on poles, it's the server farms humming along in industrial parks that store, process, and cross-reference everything those cameras capture. Flock Safety doesn't run its ALPR network on vibes — it runs on racks of hardware sitting in data centers, often built with local tax incentives and minimal public scrutiny over what gets hosted there or who can query it.
This is why fights over surveillance can't stop at the city council meeting where a Flock contract gets approved. The zoning board that green-lights a new data center, the utility commission that negotiates power rates for it, and the state legislature that regulates data retention are all part of the same supply chain. When a candidate for state office is talking about this infrastructure layer, that's a sign the conversation is finally catching up to how the system actually works.
We don't know the specifics of Miller's platform beyond what's in this video, so we're not endorsing anyone — we're flagging that the framing matters. If you want to see how much of this infrastructure is already feeding plate data in your own backyard, check our camera map, and if you want to push back on it, our take-action page has concrete next steps.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Alec Miller for Georgia State Senate 31, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.