5 Shocking Ways AI Surveillance Is Watching You in 2026

Our Take

Mark Faulkner's video promises five "shocking" ways AI surveillance has crept into daily life in 2026, and honestly, we're not shocked — we've been tracking one piece of this puzzle for a while now. While his list likely covers the flashier stuff like facial recognition and predictive policing software, the boring, unglamorous camera bolted to a pole at the end of your street is doing just as much damage, with far less scrutiny. Flock Safety's ALPR network has quietly become one of the largest privately-run surveillance systems in the country, and most drivers have no idea it's logging their movements every time they pass through an intersection.

That's the pattern worth noticing across all these AI surveillance stories: the tech gets more powerful every year, but the public conversation lags years behind. Faulkner deserves credit for putting a spotlight on the broader trend, because most people still think of mass surveillance as something that happens in other countries, not something quietly normalized in their own neighborhood HOA meeting or city council budget line.

If his video leaves you wondering just how much of this infrastructure already exists where you live, check our map to see the ALPR cameras we've documented near you, and visit our take-action page if you want to push back on it.