{
  "id": 7991110,
  "title": "Flock Once Touted Its Cameras as ‘Made in the USA.’ Now It’s Not So Clear",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/flock-once-touted-its-cameras-as-made-in-the-usa-now-its-not-so-clear",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-17T09:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Wired Business",
    "slug": "wired-business",
    "url": "https://www.wired.com/story/flock-once-touted-its-cameras-as-made-in-the-usa-now-its-not-so-clear/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Flock, a surveillance technology company, once publicly claimed that its devices were manufactured in the United States. However, recent marketing materials from the company no longer specify the country of origin for its cameras. A US manufacturer that previously considered Flock a customer removed a reference to the company from its website earlier this year due to growing public backlash against Flock's surveillance technology. Flock has been the focus of a nationwide protest movement leading to local governments halting the use of its cameras. Congress is also considering legislation to cut federal funding to states that fail to limit the use of Flock and other license plate readers.\n\nWhile police have defended the cameras as crucial tools for crime deterrence and resolution, activists argue that they enable officers to track the movements of individuals, share footage with immigration authorities, and monitor pedestrians' actions. The company's manufacturing supply chain has received limited attention, despite its potential implications for US national security. WIRED investigated the company's supply chain using data from US import records and interviews with former employees. Flock's cameras primarily rely on non-custom parts sourced from suppliers worldwide, including those from Primax Electronics in Thailand and China. The company has been increasingly importing these components from Primax, which has manufacturing facilities in China, Thailand, and other locations.\n\nIn earlier years, Flock used cameras from Android phones purchased on Alibaba and assembled them with solar panels. As the company secured contracts with homeowners associations, it moved its assembly line into a WeWork-style warehouse facility in Atlanta. Flock eventually shifted final assembly to contract facilities in North Carolina and Wisconsin, aiming to maintain a presence in North America for security reasons and to allow for quick customization of products. The company's marketing materials have evolved in its claims about manufacturing, with recent brochures stating that its cameras are \"designed & manufactured in the U.S.\"",
  "summary": "Flock reveals little about where its license plate readers are assembled, but the answer could have geopolitical and cybersecurity implications.",
  "key_points": [
    "Flock once claimed cameras were \"Made in the USA.\"",
    "Marketing now no longer specifies country of origin.",
    "US manufacturer removed reference due to backlash."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Wired",
        "title": "Flock Once Touted Its Cameras as ‘Made in the USA.’ Now It’s Not So Clear",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/flock-once-touted-its-cameras-as-made-in-the-usa-now-its-not-so-clear-7992097",
        "published": "2026-09-17T09:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}