Texas Governor Abbott blocks funding for more Flock cameras
As bipartisan backlash mounts, more politicians are turning against AI surveillance.
by Terrence O'Brien
Aug 30, 2026, 3:35 PM UTC
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images
Terrence O'Brien is the Verge’s weekend editor. He’s covered the tech industry for over 18 years and knows a thing or two about synths.
As backlash grows over Flock’s AI surveillance cameras, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has frozen state spending on them. The move came just ahead of the publication of a Texas Tribune investigation that revealed the state spent over $30 million on Flock cameras. That money was primarily raised by tacking a $1 fee onto insurance policies, allegedly to help fight catalytic converter theft.
Flock cameras have increasingly drawn ire from across the political spectrum as they’ve become the subject of privacy concerns. There have been multiple incidents of officers being placed on leave or criminally chargedfor misusing Flock...
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