A wave of anti-tech, anti-AI sentiment is here — and rising. Democrats aren’t yet riding it.
A tide of tech-skepticism, fueled by the backlash to AI data centers and Flock camera surveillance technology, is crashing onto the 2026 campaign trail and posing new questions for Democrats at the state and local level. On the heels of data centers’ newfound political toxicity — more on that below — a second front is exploding, this time centered around Flock cameras, an automated license plate recognition (ALPR) technology used by some local police forces. In just the past week, we have seen:
Sen. Bernie Sanders announced plans to introduce legislation to restrict the practice nationwide.
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley announced an investigation into the cameras’ misuse.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis labeled the cameras “out of control.”
High-profile instances of Flock vandalization and destruction.
The issue is also now popping up in campaign rhetoric across the country — most notably in Texas, where the Democratic nominee for governor, Gina Hinojosa, released an ad this week entirely centered around privacy concerns. Hinojosa is, incidentally, polling better than any Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate in decades.
Hinojosa ad.
The growing opposition echoes the data center fallout that hit a crescendo a few weeks ago — with one key difference.
The anti-Flock explosion
After a review of available data — including from Common Dreams, the Washington Examiner, Newsweek, and advocacy groups like DeFlock the USA, one thing became clear: opposition to Flock cameras is exploding.
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