Facing Outraged Residents, Flock Got Help From Group That Uses AI to Rally Public Support
Beset by critics in Knoxville, Flock partnered with a nonprofit accused of “astroturfing” for a campaign to generate support for its surveillance cameras. The post Facing Outraged Residents, Flock Got Help From Group That Uses AI to Rally Public Support appeared first on The Intercept .
Knoxville, Tennessee residents were recently inundated with texts from an unknown nonprofit group seeking their support for Flock's controversial license-plate readers. The organization, Neighbors for Strong Communities, offered to use artificial intelligence to assist them in crafting emails to public officials. However, one stay-at-home mother, Ashley Smith, refused to endorse the cameras, instead publishing her own outraged email to elected officials and a local blog.
Smith accused the group of deception, expressing concerns over the company's use of manipulative tactics and fake neighbors. The text messages appeared to originate from a Knoxville area code, but Neighbors for Strong Communities, a newly created nonprofit, was actually incorporated in Washington, D.C. Critics argue that the organization's actions resemble astroturfing, or the creation of fake grassroots support.
Neighbors for Strong Communities defended their work, stating they played an independent role in the pro-Flock campaign. However, concerns remain about the group's transparency and true grassroots support.
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