A man dressed as Darth Vader appeared before a San Diego City Council committee to mockingly champion the use of Flock police surveillance cameras, drawing on "Star Wars" imagery to satirise the ongoing debate over the technology. The stunt comes amid growing controversy across the United States over Flock's automated licence plate readers, which have been criticised by privacy advocates and some lawmakers as excessive or open to misuse, even as police say they help solve crimes.

The costumed protester addressed the Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee directly, declaring "this is what the emperor needs" and framing the cameras as tools fit for an authoritarian regime. The demonstration echoes wider national scrutiny of Flock's network, referenced elsewhere by figures such as Representative Tim Burchett, who has acknowledged the cameras help catch criminals while warning they are also being misused.