Texas Governor Abbott Halts State Funding for Flock Surveillance Cameras Amid Privacy Concerns

Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered all Texas state agencies to halt funding for Flock cameras, a move that follows growing scrutiny over the AI‑powered surveillance devices. The directive, issued Thursday night, came as the Texas Tribune prepared to publish an investigation showing that a state agency has spent at least $30 million on building the state’s Flock network by providing grants to local police departments.

In a statement released Friday, Abbott’s spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said that any funding from Texas agencies cannot be used for Flock cameras, while federal money may still be available for city purchases. “To the extent that cities get any funding for those cameras, most of it comes from the federal government. To the extent any funding comes from Texas agencies, those agencies are clarifying that those funds cannot be used for Flock cameras,” Mahaleris said.

The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority (MVCPA), whose board is largely appointed by Abbott, has helped install at least 3,200 Flock cameras since 2023. About 1,200 of those cameras are being installed by the Texas Department of Public Safety under a three‑year, $15.9 million contract with the authority. The grants that funded these installations came from a 2023 law that added $1 to Texas auto insurance premiums to fight catalytic converter theft. Lawmakers said the law did not originally envision using the money for Flock cameras, but the authority repurposed the funds after the law passed unanimously in the House and Senate.

Flock cameras are a type of license‑plate reader that use artificial intelligence to record vehicle details—including make, model, color, bumper stickers and dents—and allow other agencies to access the data, creating a large nationwide network. The company said it supports “thoughtful legislation” with privacy safeguards that preserve officers’ ability to use its product for public safety. “Flock’s technology is an important public safety tool for law enforcement agencies across Texas, helping officers solve serious crimes, find missing people, recover stolen vehicles, and support safer communities,” the statement read.

Abbott said that a crackdown is underway across Texas. In a radio interview Friday morning with Glenn Beck, he noted that cities and counties have begun canceling contracts with Flock Safety as residents raise privacy concerns and reports of misuse mount. He cited a Lufkin police officer who faces 100 counts of misuse of public information after allegedly using the city’s Flock cameras to surveil 11 people for more than a year. At least six police departments and sheriff’s offices in Texas have announced that officers are on leave, under investigation, or have been criminally charged in the past month.

“The situation is easily containable, easily controllable, and we’re ensuring that whether it be through criminal crackdowns, whether it be through cancellation of contracts, whatever the case may be, Flock cameras are being reduced dramatically,” Abbott said. “They’re going to be required to be used responsibly if they’re used at all.”

Earlier this week Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Gina Hinojosa released an ad blaming Abbott for the spread of Flock cameras across the state, calling the devices a method of “warrantless surveillance.” She urged Abbott to “stop turning Texas into a surveillance state.”

Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have raised concerns about the scale of Flock’s network and the amount of data each camera captures. Law enforcement agencies that join Flock’s national lookup program can search each other’s data from anywhere in the country. In July, Republican U.S. Rep. Keith Self introduced legislation that would require federal agencies to obtain warrants before accessing Flock camera data. Self said the bill would restore privacy rights, stating that Americans’ Fourth Amendment right to be secure in their privacy does not disappear because of new technology or artificial intelligence.

The order to suspend state funding for Flock cameras is the latest step in a broader debate over the use of AI surveillance in Texas. While the devices have helped solve serious crimes and recover stolen vehicles, critics argue that the technology can be used for intrusive, warrantless monitoring and that the data it collects could be misused by law enforcement. The Texas Tribune’s forthcoming investigation will examine how state grants were allocated and the impact of the cameras on communities.