WorkSeptember 17, 2026via 404 Media
‘Flock City PD:’ The Fake Flock-Owned ‘Police Department’ That Searched Real Cameras for Real People
Why it matters
AI surveillance tools marketed as neutral infrastructure are enabling discriminatory targeting at scale. This case shows how camera networks + search capabilities can codify bias, raising urgent questions about AI deployment in law enforcement and the guardrails (or lack thereof) vendors are building.
Key signals
- Flock ran searches for 'coexist bumper sticker,' 'white truck with trump sticker,' 'Star of David' in demo
- Searches were run on real Flock-network cameras, not sandboxed test environment
- Apparent intent was to show what police 'shouldn't' search for, but demonstrated actual capability
- Raises bias and discrimination concerns in AI-powered surveillance infrastructure
- Questions vendor responsibility for guardrails in sensitive AI deployments
- Flock ran searches on real camera network for protected-characteristic queries: 'coexist bumper sticker,' 'white truck with trump sticker,' 'Star of David'
- Searches were apparently meant as a negative example but conducted on real infrastructure and real people
- Demonstrates the ease of discriminatory deployment in AI-powered surveillance tools used by law enforcement
- Raises questions about governance, consent, and oversight of surveillance AI in production use
The hook
Flock Security's own demo exposed how its camera network could enable discriminatory surveillance—searches for religious symbols, political stickers, and vehicle types that mirror real-world bias.
Flock ran searches for “coexist bumper sticker,” “white truck with a trump sticker,” and “Star of David,” apparently to demonstrate what cops shouldn't search for.