Topline
President Donald Trump on Sunday said he likes Flock’s cameras while acknowledging that some people are concerned about surveillance, marking his first public comments about the controversial company and its AI-powered cameras, which have faced vandalism, protests and legislative pushback.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters while aboard Air Force One while traveling back from Ireland to Joint Base Andrews.
Getty Images
Key Facts
While speaking to reporters on board Air Force One while flying back from Ireland, Trump was asked what he thought of Flock cameras.
Trump said he “sort of” likes them because he believes they help law enforcement.
However, the president acknowledged pushback against the cameras from “some people,” who think “it’s an infringement.”
When a reporter interjected, saying they “help catch a lot of criminals,” Trump once again said, “I like them.”
key background
Flock’s cameras are a network of automated license plate readers, which can record plate numbers, track vehicle movement, and use AI to log details like make, model and color of the vehicle. The company has pitched the cameras as a local crime prevention tool that helps law enforcement find stolen vehicles and missing people. However, there have been growing concerns about these cameras being misused for stalking, personal use by police officers and broader surveillance. Flock drew additional scrutiny earlier this year after a Super Bowl ad highlighted its partnership with Amazon’s popular Ring doorbell cameras. A backlash to the ad, which showed off a “search party” function to find missing pets, prompted Amazon to cancel its partnership with Flock. Since then, Flock cameras have been the target of protests and multiple acts of vandalism. There’s also growing pushback from political leaders across party lines, including an investigation launched into Flock by Sen. Josh Hawley, the chair of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on crime and counterterrorism,
tangent
Trump was once again asked about safety concerns raised this week by the leaders of top AI companies and his downplaying of the risks. The president nodded when asked if heard directly from AI leaders and said: “I’m not downplaying, but…it’s going to be more good than bad, by a lot.” The president then reiterated his stance that “whoever wins AI, wins,” a reference to the AI race with China. Trump also added: “we’re leading by a lot.”
further reading
Investigations And Vandalism Of Flock Cameras Surge As ‘Surveillance State’ Concerns Escalate (Forbes)
Flock’s AI Cameras Are Watching Cars All Over America. They’re About To Get A Lot More Powerful. (Forbes)
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