Sen. Bernie Sanders Targets Flock Safety, Warns of AI-Driven Surveillance State

Sen. Bernie Sanders is taking aim at Flock Safety, pledging to introduce legislation targeting the surveillance-camera company as he warned that artificial intelligence is pushing the country toward a "surveillance state."

In a lengthy post on X on Wednesday, the Vermont independent framed the fight in stark terms, opening with "STOP FLOCK. STOP AI MASS SURVEILLANCE" and cautioning that unchecked tracking technology risks steering the U.S. toward totalitarianism.

Sanders said Flock, which he described as backed by tech figures Marc Andreessen and Peter Thiel, has installed more than 120,000 AI-powered cameras across the country that scan and record 20 billion vehicles each month in over 6,000 communities.

Sanders argued the reach extends into daily life, saying that wherever Flock operates, its cameras log residents dropping children at school, visiting doctors or heading out on dates. He also pointed to newer capabilities, contending Flock's AI can combine images of a person and their vehicle with databases of phone numbers, relatives and court records to determine who someone is and where they're going. He closed by promising to introduce a bill to rein in the technology.

The pledge adds a prominent voice to a swelling bipartisan backlash. Opposition to Flock's automated license plate readers has already reached Capitol Hill, where Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie said he plans legislation to withhold federal funding from agencies that deploy the cameras. Local governments from Los Angeles to Monroe County, Indiana, have suspended or canceled contracts amid privacy concerns, while activists in dozens of states have vandalized or disabled the devices.

Atlanta-based Flock, founded in 2017, says its cameras don't use facial recognition and typically retain footage for 30 days. CEO Garrett Langley has argued that critics often soften once they understand the technology mainly photographs vehicles, and he recently apologized for previously labeling anti-Flock activists a "terroristic organization."

In an interview with FOX News earlier this week, Langley asked Americans to "compromise" on their privacy, implying citizens should prioritize safety over concerns about surveillance.

Flock has moved aggressively over the past year to expand its footprint, including a nationwide plate-scanning fleet involving Uber drivers and a police tool for tracking drivers.

Sanders did not specify when he would introduce the bill.