Flock Safety, a $7.5bn AI-powered licence plate reader (LPR) company backed by Andreessen Horowitz, is under intense scrutiny as dozens of US cities cancel contracts amid immigration enforcement debates. The technology, which scans vehicle plates and features for identification, has become a flashpoint, with 53 cities across 20 states deactivating Flock cameras, including 38 in the past six months. Critics argue its systems aid ICE in mass migrant crackdowns, creating a vast surveillance network.

Amazon's Ring recently scrapped a planned Flock partnership after a Super Bowl ad raised privacy fears. Flock claims no ICE contracts exist and restricts immigration searches in states like Illinois and Washington, but reports of alleged misuse persist. Despite this, Flock reports $300mn in annual recurring revenue and over 12,000 corporate customers, including 6,000 law enforcement agencies.

Its cloud-based LPR network offers cost savings and crime-solving capabilities, with one Texas department searching over 103,500 devices in a December 2025 homicide probe. Rivals like Motorola and Axon Enterprise compete in the $1.79bn US law enforcement tech market, which is growing rapidly.