US students push universities to restrict Flock’s surveillance cameras

Students at universities across the United States are challenging Flock Safety’s automated number plate cameras over privacy and surveillance concerns. At least ten campuses in seven states have ended contracts since April, showing growing pressure on institutions to limit how vehicle-location data can be accessed.

Stanford dropped its contract after students, including computer science student Angela Nguyen, gathered hundreds of signatures calling for safeguards. Other campuses have cancelled or paused plans, while some have kept cameras but restricted access: records showed Houston police searched UNC Charlotte’s network 183,000 times between March and May 2026. Flock says its cameras help police investigate crimes and has introduced updated data-sharing and auditing policies; it denies enabling mass surveillance or partnering with federal immigration authorities.