Senator Josh Hawley has opened an investigation into Flock Safety, alleging that its expanding AI camera network may amount to a searchable national record of Americans’ movements. The dispute matters because it centres on whether police and other users can retrospectively track people without judicial approval, balancing crime prevention against privacy and constitutional protections.

Flock says it operates more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states and processes over 20 billion vehicle scans each month, recording information such as number plates, vehicle descriptions, locations and times. The company sells its systems to police, businesses and homeowners’ associations, while some Texas cities have removed cameras over privacy and data concerns. A Flock spokesperson said it would respond to Hawley and explain its safeguards and role in solving crime and locating missing people; privacy advocates argue warrants should generally be required except in emergencies.