Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) announced on Thursday, September 4, 2026, that he is broadening a congressional investigation into artificial intelligence surveillance networks. The probe, which originally focused on Flock Safety, now includes information requests sent to Motorola Solutions Inc., Verkada Inc., and Axon Enterprise Inc. regarding their data collection and retention policies.
The expansion follows an initial inquiry launched by Hawley on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, into Flock Safety's network of automated license plate readers. Hawley, serving as the chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, has raised questions about how these companies handle personal data and what safeguards are in place to prevent misuse.
In letters to the executives of the three additional firms, Hawley requested details on policies regarding the use of citizen data collected by AI camera networks. This follows reports that Flock Safety's network—comprised of more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states—has been subject to instances of police officers using the system to monitor former romantic partners. Flock Safety stated on Thursday that Congress should focus on enshrining safeguards in law rather than banning technology that the company describes as a critical public safety tool.
The investigation affects American drivers whose movements are recorded by private surveillance networks sold to law enforcement. According to Hawley, Flock Safety alone scans more than 20 billion vehicles every month across 49 states. Hawley stated that for a typical household, this means daily commutes to work, school, or church are logged into databases that can be searched.
The scale of the data collection is reported at more than 120,000 active cameras for Flock Safety. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced the "Flock-Off Act" this week. If passed, this legislation would block federal grants from being used by cities or police departments to purchase automated license plate readers or biometric surveillance cameras.
Several police departments, including Dallas, have already moved to freeze funding or sever contracts with Flock Safety due to privacy concerns. The immediate next step involves a September 8, 2026, deadline for Flock Safety to produce documents regarding data access, while responses from Motorola, Verkada, and Axon are pending following the recent letters.