February 23, 2026
Lights, camera, backlash
Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras
From “good” chants to laser jokes: America vs the spy cams
TLDR: People across the U.S. are destroying Flock’s license-plate cameras as anger grows over data aiding immigration crackdowns. Comments split between cheering, laser jokes, and warnings of a deep national divide, turning a tech gadget into a flashpoint over privacy, policing, and who gets watched.
Across the U.S., people are smashing Flock’s license‑plate cameras, and the internet is having a field day. Brian Merchant’s report in Blood in the Machine lit up forums: one commenter simply said “good.”—a one‑word mic drop that became the rallying cry. Flock, a $7.5 billion surveillance startup, says it doesn’t share data directly with ICE (U.S. immigration agents), but reports show local police can and do pass access along. Cue the split-screen drama: freedom fighters vs. “law and order” loyalists, with a Hacker News thread racking up hundreds of comments and a whole lot of side-eyes.
The most replayed scene: La Mesa, California approved keeping Flock cameras despite a packed meeting opposing them—then the cameras got smashed. One commenter deadpanned, “Who could’ve seen that coming,” like a sitcom laugh track. On the spicier end, a user mused about handheld lasers taking out lenses, which instantly turned into a meme—lots of “pew pew” jokes, zero how‑to advice. Meanwhile, a heavier thread warned America is now “two Americas,” predicting things get worse before they get better. Privacy hawks call the system a deportation dragnet; safety advocates say cameras catch criminals. What everyone agrees on? This is no boring tech tool—this is a culture war with street‑level consequences and comment‑section chaos.
Key Points
- •Reports indicate people across the U.S. are dismantling and destroying Flock surveillance cameras.
- •Flock is an Atlanta-based startup valued at $7.5 billion in 2025, with more than 6,000 customers.
- •Flock’s network includes license plate readers and other devices that can track vehicle movements from thousands of cameras nationwide.
- •Flock says it does not share data directly with ICE, but local police have shared access with federal authorities.
- •Some communities are urging cities to end contracts with Flock in response to concerns over data use in immigration enforcement.