Summary

  • On Air Force One, Trump expressed his support for Flock's AI surveillance cameras, recognizing their utility for law enforcement.
  • He acknowledged some concerns regarding privacy but reiterated, "I like them," after being informed of their effectiveness in solving crimes.
  • This statement comes as the Senate Judiciary Committee, led by Sen. Josh Hawley, investigates Flock's extensive camera network and Sen. Bernie Sanders proposes legislation against it.

President Donald Trump declared his approval of Flock Safety's AI surveillance cameras during a recent flight, marking a clear stance on a contentious issue that has divided lawmakers across party lines.

While returning from Ireland aboard Air Force One, Trump responded to questions about the automated license plate readers that law enforcement agencies attribute to solving numerous cases. "Yeah, I sort of like them because of that, because of law enforcement," he stated.

Trump acknowledged that opinions vary, admitting that "some people" view the cameras as a "an infringement" on privacy. However, he reiterated his support, stating, "I like them," when reminded of their role in apprehending criminals.

Flock's technology involves stationary cameras that capture images of passing vehicles and utilize computer vision to record various details such as make, model, color, and notable features. The company boasts over 120,000 cameras installed in more than 6,000 U.S. locales, collectively scanning approximately 20 billion vehicles each month.

Law enforcement officials argue that this network aids in recovering stolen vehicles and finding missing persons, while critics contend it creates extensive logs of individuals who have never been involved in criminal activity.

The situation escalated last month when Wired reported that Flock is developing an AI tool capable of identifying and tracking drivers without requiring names or license plates. Initially named Nightshift, the software is now called Flock OS Investigate, and includes 69 preset queries that allow police to track vehicles based on their movement patterns, including a feature that identifies a vehicle's "associates" by checking which other cars appear at the same camera within a two-minute span.

In late August, Sen. Josh Hawley, who leads the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, launched a formal inquiry into Flock's data management and later broadened the investigation to include competitors such as Motorola Solutions, Verkada, and Axon. Separately, Sen. Bernie Sanders has committed to introducing legislation to regulate the camera network, while Rep. Thomas Massie is advocating for a bill to cut federal funding for agencies using these cameras, part of a growing backlash in Congress that predates Trump's remarks.