8 claims involving Flock, other surveillance tech we've examined

While Snopes has reported on surveillance technology since at least 2022, it wasn't until 2026 that the internet started paying closer attention to surveillance companies, such as Flock Safety, as well as government entities' use of modern surveillance technology. We've investigted various claims as people across social media reacted to cameras appearing in their towns, neighborhoods and even Home Depot parking lots. As part of our fact-checking, we debunked misidentified footage purportedly showing someone destroying Flock cameras — though we noted a growing movement against surveillance technology expansion. According to DeFlock, a site used to track such cameras using a crowdsourced map, there were more than 125,000 cameras in view across the U.S. as of this writing — including approximately 104,049 Flock cameras. Critics of AI-powered surveillance technology have also pointed to purported cases of misuse, such as when a Tennessee woman spent six months in jail after an AI tool misidentified her and when a Texas deputy tapped into a network of more than 83,000 Flock cameras to find a woman who had an abortion (evidence for what motivated the search is mixed). Below are eight such claims related to Flock cameras and other forms of surveillance technology that we've investigated: Sources 'DeFlock Maps | ALPR Camera Map & Privacy Routes'. DeFlock Maps, https://maps.deflock.org/. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.Flock Articles | Snopes.Com. https://www.snopes.com/tag/flock_cameras/. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.Surveillance Technology Articles | Snopes.Com. https://www.snopes.com/tag/surveillance_technology/. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026. By Taija PerryCook Taija PerryCook is a Seattle-based journalist who previously worked for the PNW news site Crosscut and the Jordan Times in Amman. Article Tags