{
  "id": 10704600,
  "title": "Surveillance Finds a Way",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/surveillance-finds-a-way",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-29T14:05:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "404 Media",
    "slug": "404-media",
    "url": "https://www.404media.co/surveillance-finds-a-way/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Surveillance companies cannot be trusted to regulate themselves or make privacy decisions, as their red lines often differ from what is profitable for other firms. Today, investigations focus on a company that saw Flock not offering facial recognition and recognized an opportunity. A few individuals have even demonstrated ChatGPT driving a car in a San Francisco parking lot, capturing data.\n\nMeanwhile, a data center company pledges substantial payments if their data center receives approval. In addition, criticisms arise concerning the Muse device.\n\nThe story begins with Flock, a company at the heart of a nationwide debate over automatic license plate reading cameras. Flock CEO Garrett Langley has firmly stated that the company will not add facial recognition to its devices: \"We will not add facial recognition to our devices,\" he declared in a recent video.\n\nHowever, third-party companies are stepping in, offering to add facial recognition to data collected by Flock cameras. VIDIZMO, a video analysis and database firm established decades ago, has begun offering facial recognition technology to law enforcement within the last six months. A sales representative from VIDIZMO sent an email to Johnson City, Tennessee deputy police chief Michael Adams in May. According to the representative, VIDIZMO's product can conduct facial recognition on both Flock and Axon data within a single searchable platform.",
  "summary": "CEO who wants to add facial recognition to Flock cameras says it's \"the way the world will have to be.\"",
  "key_points": [
    "Flock CEO denies adding facial recognition to devices",
    "VIDIZMO offers facial recognition for Flock and Axon data",
    "Concerns raised about data center company's data center payments"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}