Flock Safety killed its AI “Distress Detection” pilot after 18 months of EFF pressure, but the guns
The short version: PickBits reports Flock Safety scrapped its AI 'distress detection' pilot after sustained EFF scrutiny, while other surveillance features reportedly remain in place.
Our Take
Credit to PickBits for flagging this one. If the reporting holds up, Flock Safety quietly walked back an AI 'distress detection' pilot after roughly a year and a half of pressure from EFF and other civil liberties watchdogs. That's a win worth noting, but it's also a reminder of how these systems get tested on us first and rolled back only when someone with a platform and legal expertise pushes hard enough.
The bigger story, as the title hints, is what doesn't get killed. Pilots quietly sunset while other detection features, camera networks, and data-sharing arrangements keep humming along in the background. One scrapped feature isn't a retreat from automated surveillance — it's a single data point showing that public pressure can occasionally move the needle, which only matters if people keep applying it.
This is exactly why mapping where these cameras actually live matters. Check our camera map to see what's operating near you, and if you want to do more than watch from the sidelines, our take-action page has concrete steps for pushing back at the local level.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of PickBits, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.