Why there’s so much pushback against data centers, Flock cameras
The short version: Arizona's Family's local report shows Flock camera backlash is converging with data center fights, as communities push back on unchecked surveillance infrastructure.
Our Take
Credit to Arizona's Family (3TV/CBS 5) for connecting a dot that doesn't get connected enough: the same communities fighting data center sprawl are often the ones waking up to rows of Flock cameras bolted to utility poles with zero public input. Both fights are really about the same thing — infrastructure getting dropped into neighborhoods without residents having a real say, then being told after the fact to be grateful for the "safety" or "progress" it brings.
What's notable here is that the pushback isn't coming from one ideological corner. Photo radar, data centers, ALPRs — Arizonans across the political spectrum are increasingly skeptical of systems that quietly expand government and corporate reach into daily life while offering little transparency about who sees the data, how long it's kept, or who it gets shared with. That skepticism is earned. Flock's own audit trails have repeatedly shown departments using plate-reader networks for purposes well outside the stated "community safety" pitch, from immigration-adjacent lookups to personal matters that have nothing to do with solving crime.
If your town hasn't had this conversation yet, it will. Check our map to see what's already watching your streets, and if you'd rather not wait for a local news crew to ask the hard questions, our take-action page has steps for raising this with your city council before the cameras go up, not after.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Arizona’s Family (3TV / CBS 5), published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.