What’s going on?
Private firm Flock has rolled out AI‑powered licence‑plate readers to about 130‑000 sites across the US, according to BBC Verify. Most of the installations are in police departments or their private contractors.
Why the debate?
Law‑enforcement agencies say the cameras help track suspects and deter traffic violations. They argue the data are stored in secure servers and accessed only by officers in the field.
Civil‑rights groups point out the technology could perform continual covert surveillance, with data potentially used for profiling. They cite the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling that limits government surveillance without a warrant.
Corporate stance
Flock’s head of public policy says the system is “designed with privacy built in” and that they only ever transmit image data to law‑enforcement devices, never to the cloud.
Public response
Since the rollout, protests have erupted in at least 15 cities. Activists demand clear oversight, a sunset clause for the technology, and a public data‑audit.
