Gov. McMaster defends Flock cameras amid misuse concerns

Our Take

When a governor says he trusts law enforcement to use a surveillance network responsibly while simultaneously acknowledging misuse is a real concern, that's not a defense — it's an admission. Credit to FOX Carolina for getting McMaster on record, because "trust us, we'll hold bad actors accountable" is the same line we hear from police departments and Flock Safety itself every time a scandal surfaces, whether it's an officer running plates for an ex or an agency sharing data across state lines in ways residents never consented to.

South Carolina taxpayers are footing the bill for a system that logs their movements by default, with no warrant, no court order, and often no public vote. "Accountability for misuse" after the fact does nothing for the person whose travel history, medical visits, or political activity already got swept into a database that hundreds of agencies can query. The damage from mass license plate tracking isn't a bug that gets fixed with a stern talking-to — it's the business model.

If you want to know how many of these cameras are already watching your commute, check our camera map, and if you'd rather your city council hear from you than from a Flock sales rep, our take-action page has the tools to make that happen.