Cities Think They're Ditching Surveillance. They're Just Switching Vendors.
Over the past year, more than 50 cities and counties across the country have canceled their contracts with Flock Safety, the company behind the automated license plate readers now bolted to streetlights in most American neighborhoods. Local news covers each cancellation as a privacy win. City councils pass resolutions. Residents who organized against the cameras get their moment at the podium. Then, within months, installation crews show up and bolt new cameras onto the same poles. They’re just wearing a different logo. ...