Flock cameras have long been a source of controversy, and one installation in Texas has done little to ease those concerns. Eight particular cameras appear to be pointed towards an adjacent kids’ splash park and playing area, as opposed to their intended purpose of license plate reading. Hence, many parents in the area are worried about what exactly the flock cameras were being used for, especially when they are facing towards children in swimsuits
The concerning report came from TikTok user marztrip.kira, who uploaded the clip on August 9. In the video, the TikTok user was in Slayter Creek Park in Anna, Texas, where eight Flock surveillance cameras have been installed near the kids’ splash park. Moreover, the cameras were allegedly facing the splash pad playground where children wearing swimsuits usually played.
“Why does Anna have a Flock camera literally facing the kids’ splash pad?” questions the TikTok user. “I just don’t understand why do you need a Flock camera facing kids?” The area is also where families allegedly change into swimming gear. The TikTok user’s video has since gained millions of views across several social media platforms, with many viewers being alarmed at the situation.
People online are suspecting the authorities
Some commenters have brought up similar situations where Flock cameras are placed or are pointed in areas where vehicles usually aren’t present. One social media user pointed out that, “There was one inside a gymnasium that children practice ballet at. Ask yourself who’s monitoring this [expletive] and why.” Others suspect that “cops are using them to monitors exes and family more than anything else.”
In any case, the placement and direction of the Flock cameras in certain areas, such as the aforementioned splash park, have led to more negative sentiments towards this law-enforcement practice. “It’s actually been reported that some officers have been caught stalking women and kids through the Flock cameras, but remember guys they’re JUST plate readers,” according to one commenter.
In the recent past, there was also a case of a Texas Sheriff using 83,000 Flock cameras to track down a woman who had an abortion, so authorities abusing Flock cameras to break privacy laws (or worse) is not too far-fetched. Hence, some TikTok commenters even joked about the matter, writing, “The billionaires are shopping,” in the particular kids’ splash park where Flock cameras were installed.
Other commenters took the matter more seriously, ranting, “We are not mad enough.” At the moment, there also appears to be a long enough list of odd Flock camera installations, and some of them are in playgrounds, hiking trails, and gyms.
