Retail chains face growing backlash over Flock surveillance cameras and privacy concerns

As opposition to Flock Safety’s AI-driven surveillance grows, major retailers such as Ulta Beauty, Lowe’s and Kroger are under fire for deploying the company’s automated license-plate readers. Ulta claims the cameras are installed in fewer than 1% of its 1,500 locations to aid investigations of organized retail theft, while critics highlight the system’s misuse in tracking women and minorities. Investigations have revealed high error rates—71% misreads in Roseville, California—and instances where deputies used the data for personal purposes.

Activist groups Ultraviolet and Fight for the Future have organized petitions, gathering thousands of signatures demanding the retailers end the contracts. The backlash has already prompted several municipalities to cancel or suspend agreements with Flock, and the Florida Department of Transportation announced a ban on ALPRs on state roads.