Record number of municipalities end Flock surveillance agreements in August

New data from the advocacy group Secure Justice shows 214 cities and counties have dropped Flock Safety since 2021, with 90 cancellations occurring in August 2026 alone—a fourfold increase from the previous month. The group's director says the trend is accelerating, driven by concerns over surveillance overreach, data sharing, costs, and police misuse. Flock Safety counters that new partnerships still outpace nonrenewals by roughly 10 to 1.

The cancellation data reflects growing bipartisan unease with automated license plate reader technology. Secure Justice's tally shows the pace of departures accelerating sharply in 2026, with 165 of the 214 total cancellations occurring within the first eight months of this year. Flock has responded with policy adjustments, including shortening default data retention from 30 days to seven and revising terms of use to explicitly prohibit harassment or stalking. Federal scrutiny has also emerged, with Senator Josh Hawley announcing an investigation into Flock's data practices. The company maintains its growth remains strong, citing a 10-to-1 ratio of new partnerships to nonrenewals and roughly 5,000 communities using its products.