Texas $1 Auto-Insurance Surcharge Funds Expansion of Flock Camera Network Amid Growing Pushback
Texas officials said the $1 surcharge on auto-insurance premiums generated about $81 million, of which roughly $30 million funded the installation of thousands of Flock license-plate reader cameras across the state, drawing criticism from lawmakers and privacy advocates. The criticism has been echoed nationwide, as governors and lawmakers from both parties have urged bans on the AI-powered cameras, and political candidates have made the technology a campaign issue. Senator Josh Hawley has sent letters to Motorola Solutions, Verkada and Axon seeking details on how their AI-enabled camera systems handle vehicle data, expanding his inquiry beyond Flock. Police departments that ended contracts with Flock have begun replacing the cameras with comparable systems from Axon.
More than 50 U. S. jurisdictions have halted or removed Flock readers, citing privacy concerns and reports of police misuse. Governor Greg Abbott ordered a pause to state funding for the cameras, and a record number of municipalities terminated contracts with the company in August.
