‘I Like Them’: Trump Backs Controversial Flock Cameras Despite Protests

Our Take

When the President of the United States says "I like them" about a private company's network of license plate readers, it's worth pausing on what exactly he's endorsing. Flock Safety's cameras aren't just parked-lot security gadgets — they're feeding a searchable database that tracks where ordinary Americans drive, when, and how often, often shared across thousands of police departments with minimal guardrails. Forbes deserves credit for putting this moment in front of viewers, but a presidential shrug shouldn't be the last word on a surveillance system this size.

The protests Trump acknowledged aren't fringe paranoia — they're coming from civil libertarians, local officials, and everyday residents who've realized these cameras were installed with little public debate and even less transparency about who gets access to the data and for how long. "Some people are concerned" is doing a lot of work in that headline. Concern is warranted when a technology built for catching stolen cars has quietly become a tool capable of mapping the daily movements of anyone with a license plate.

Political endorsements don't change the facts on the ground: these cameras are proliferating fast, often without meaningful local input. If you want to see how close this network has crept to your own neighborhood, check our camera map, and if you're ready to push back, our take-action page has concrete steps for getting involved locally.