‘Work boots and Subarus’: Flock cameras spark bipartisan backlash
The short version: POLITICO highlights a genuine right-left backlash against Flock Safety, with rural conservatives and suburban liberals alike demanding cameras come down.
Our Take
POLITICO's short doc captures something we've been saying since day one: this isn't a partisan issue, it's a power issue. When a Republican county commissioner in North Carolina describes 'work boots and Subarus' showing up shoulder to shoulder to fight Flock, that's not a fluke — it's what happens when people realize a private company is logging their movements regardless of how they vote.
The immigration angle POLITICO raises deserves attention too. Flock's marketing promises 'public safety,' but the same database that flags a stolen car can just as easily flag a commuter's plate for ICE, a local sheriff with a grudge, or a data broker down the line. Once that infrastructure exists, there's no reliable wall keeping it in its lane — and local officials who signed contracts without reading the fine print are now facing furious constituents demanding answers.
Credit to POLITICO for putting faces and voices to what's becoming a nationwide pattern of pushback. If your town hasn't had this fight yet, it's coming. Check our camera map to see what's already watching your neighborhood, and hit up take action for tools to push your council toward transparency or outright removal.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of POLITICO, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.