Texas cut state money for Flock cameras. The cameras are not gone.
Gov. Abbott ordered Texas agencies to stop funding Flock's AI license-plate cameras. The order cuts state money, not the cameras themselves.
- What happened: On August 28, Abbott directed state agencies to pause and block funding for Flock Safety cameras, citing privacy concerns and reported misuse. Some cities were already cancelling contracts.
- What triggered it: The Texas Tribune found a state authority had put at least $30 million into about 3,200 Flock cameras since 2023. A Lufkin officer faces 100 counts for allegedly using them to track 11 people.
- What the order does not do: Local departments can keep running Flock cameras on local or federal money. The pause stops state funds only, so the network's future rests on local decisions.