Flock's rapidly expanding AI surveillance network facing growing backlash in US

What the report says

BBC Verify reports that Flock, a private company that makes AI-powered licence plate reader cameras, has built a rapidly expanding surveillance network across the United States. The system is now said to include about 130,000 cameras nationwide, with most deployed by law enforcement agencies. The BBC’s report focuses on the scale of that growth and the public response it is drawing.

According to the broadcaster, the spread of the cameras has raised privacy concerns and prompted protests. The debate centers on how widely the technology is being used and what it means for everyday surveillance in communities where the devices are installed. The article does not present a new policy change, but it highlights the increasing scrutiny facing the company as its footprint grows.

The story is significant because it sits at the intersection of policing, privacy and the use of artificial intelligence in public monitoring. In general terms, licence plate readers can help authorities track vehicles, but critics often argue that large networks of such cameras can create extensive location records and strengthen surveillance capabilities. BBC Verify frames Flock’s expansion as part of a broader national conversation about how far AI-assisted monitoring should go and who should control it.