Texas lawmakers added $1 to car insurance. That money built a statewide Flock surveillance network
Lawmakers added $1 to car insurance policies. That money paid for Flock cameras
A $1 fee added to Texas auto insurance policies in 2023 to fight catalytic converter theft has quietly funded at least 3,200 Flock license plate readers across the state, according to a Texas Tribune analysis. The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, overseen by Greg Abbott appointees, funneled over $30 million into the surveillance network, which can track vehicles nationwide without warrants. After the Tribune's findings, Abbott paused state funding for the cameras, but the program has already sparked privacy concerns and legislative backlash.
In a million years, I never could have even contemplated that this would be used to fund what is effectively warrantless surveillance.
- k310
Texas
> In 2023, the Texas Legislature unanimously passed a law raising auto insurance costs for Texans by $1 to combat rampant catalytic converter theft.
> The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, led by a board mostly appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, has turned the $1 fee hike into at least 3,200 Flock cameras.
More coming. Meanwhile, secure your EV!!! Batteries will be next!!!
- DarmokTanagra
For a country that staged a revolution over a tea tax modern Americans sure seem to love having their rights trampled.
- 1970-01-01
The only mistake Flock has made in terms of general acceptance is leaving them closed-access. The right way to build this empire is to set all the cameras as public. When they're wide-open and everybody is free to watch (along with ads, of course) not enough will care about the privacy because they want to track their cheating boyfriend, Amazon delivery, and get live traffic and weather info.
- SwellJoe
Given how unpopular these cameras are, and how sloppy their security has been, I have come to assume there's boatloads of bribery happening. I can't come up with any other explanation for how willing police chiefs and city councilors and mayors are to get yelled at at city council meetings and how wantonly they're giving away the privacy of their constituents.
I'm guessing that as scrutiny increases, we'll begin to hear about questionable, at best, sales tactics, if not outright bribery. Trips, sponsored speaking/training engagements that puts money in the pockets of cops and policymakers, etc. The whole thing stinks of it.
- qwerpy
Strange that someone else’s question “Did it reduce catalytic converter theft?”, directly relevant to the article, got downvoted to death. Not sure if we’re meant to have discussions here or just dutifully complain about topics that are fashionable to complain about.
- j45
If this is $1/year does that mean a certain number of cameras can be purchased each year?
- mannanj
So to fight abuse and overreach by your leaders, you can:
- give up your car/vehicle propery
- let an LLC take ownership
- reside in the privacy protections of LLC and corporation
I don't think any successful case has happened yet where flock et al have pierced the corporate veil to get address information, nor dug into insurance records to find who the LLC-license plates belong to.
- ihsw
Did it reduce catalytic converter theft?
- DivingForGold
Snooping Bastards !