House pushes bills to curb Flock surveillance cameras as AOC introduces competing proposal

House Republicans are moving quickly to limit the deployment of Flock's automated surveillance cameras, with Speaker Mike Johnson saying the measures will be taken up in the lame-duck session after the November elections. The primary effort, credited to Rep. Tim Burchett, would prohibit federal agencies from buying or accessing the cameras, a move supported by Rep. Tom Barrett. Rep. Thomas Massie has offered a companion bill that would prevent federal funding for covered camera systems and require agencies to dismantle existing installations within 180 days.

Meanwhile, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, introduced their own legislation aimed at restricting the technology, citing privacy violations and aggressive pricing tactics at big-box stores. Senator Josh Hawley also presented a bill and conducted a September hearing, noting that Flock operates a network of roughly 120,000 cameras across 49 states, generating billions of images. The legislative push faces uncertainty depending on whether Republicans retain control of the House after the election.