{
  "id": 4725523,
  "title": "Florida says it is revoking permits for Flock cameras and similar license-plate readers on state roads and no longer intends to issue such permits (Ryan Gillespie/Orlando Sentinel)",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/florida-says-it-is-revoking-permits-for-flock-cameras-and-similar",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-31T21:55:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Techmeme",
    "slug": "techmeme",
    "url": "https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2026/08/31/florida-orders-flock-cameras-off-of-state-roads/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Florida is revoking permits for Flock cameras and similar license-plate readers on state roads. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the state no longer intends to issue such permits. This move deals a blow to local law enforcement agencies that use the cameras.\n\nThe decision comes amid growing criticism of Flock Safety's AI-powered camera network across the US. According to Secure Justice, an Oakland-based anti-surveillance group, 214 cities and counties have dropped Flock since 2021, with 90 jurisdictions ending contracts in August alone. Concerns include the cost of cameras, data sharing among agencies, and reports of police officers misusing the system.\n\nIn Texas, a $1 annual fee added to auto insurance policies raised an estimated $81 million, with at least $30 million going toward Flock deployments. The Texas Tribune found that several lawmakers who approved the fee did not expect it to finance a statewide license plate surveillance network. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has frozen state spending on Flock cameras, according to The Verge.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Techmeme",
        "title": "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott orders state agencies to pause funding for Flock cameras; an investigation found an agency allocating $30M+ to build Texas' Flock network (Ayden Runnels/The Texas Tribune)",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/texas-gov-greg-abbott-orders-state-agencies-to-pause-funding-for",
        "published": "2026-08-29T00:55:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Digital Trends",
        "title": "$1 is all it took for Texas to litter the state with Flock surveillance cameras from drivers’ pockets",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/1-is-all-it-took-for-texas-to-litter-the-state-with-flock",
        "published": "2026-08-30T18:56:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}