--- title: "Flock Is Losing Dozens of Contracts as Controversy Grows" description: "New data reveals Flock cameras are being rejecting in a growing number of US cities, as outrage against the company's spy cameras soars." date: "2026-08-06" modified: "2026-08-06" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/flock-dozens-contracts-alprs-controversy-cancellation" categories: - "Future Society" - "Privacy" --- # Flock Is Losing Dozens of Contracts as Controversy Grows ![A Flock Safety license plate recognition camera is seen above a traffic signal on a post.]() *Matthew Jonas/MediaNews Group/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images/Futurism* Mass surveillance technology might be popular with police departments, but for the US public, it's becoming an increasingly difficult sell. At least 54 cities across the US have voted to cancel, non-renew, or reject Flock's automatic license plate reader (ALPRs) since the start of the year, according to [data collected by the *Washington Examiner*](). That comes after reporting in February that some [30 cities]() had done the same since 2025, indicative of the rising backlash against the tech. In all, the *Examiner* reports cities in 23 states have shredded their Flock contracts so far this year, led by California and Wisconsin, which each have seven rejections, cancellations, or deactivations. Other heavy hitters include New York, Washington, and Massachusetts with four each, and Virginia with three. Though Flock has its cameras in over [5,000 US cities]() as of July 2026, the rise in rejections at the municipal level comes amidst a tidal wave of outrage around issues of [privacy]() and [civil rights](). In cities where civic leaders have been slow to respond to these anxieties, citizens have moved quickly to take matters into their own hands by [damaging](), [obscuring](), or [stealing]() the surveillance cameras in order to stop them from recording footage. A rise in official cancelations or rejections shows municipal leaders are catching on to the reality that the American populace broadly disproves of the technology, and they aren't afraid to show it. Arguably the highest-profile contract cancellation for Flock came when the Los Angeles Police Department decided to [non-renew]() its years-long contract with the company, a decision motivated by a [searing internal audit]() of the company's technology. The internal report found that, in just two months, Flock's ALPRs contributed to 161 false stolen-vehicle alerts, resulting in a false-positive rate of 32.3 percent. With no sign of the outrage settling anytime soon, it's likely these 54 cities could just be the start. **More on Flock:** *[Flock Surveillance Cameras Are Actually Horrible for Fighting Crime, FBI Data Shows]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()