The City of Calgary has confirmed that it has no current plans to install highly controversial AI-powered Flock surveillance cameras in the city as American municipalities deal with the mass teardown of newly installed cameras.After an inquiry from the Western Standard, a spokesperson for the city confirmed that Calgary was not looking into installing the surveillance cameras.A statement from the City of Calgary, on behalf of the Calgary Police Service, says that "we do not use Flock cameras, and we do not have any immediate plans to utilize them."The statement comes amid growing backlash to the cameras being seen in the United States, as, within the last couple months, dozens of the newly installed cameras have been cut down by protesters.Flock Safety cameras, called Falcon or Sparrow, are surveillance cameras that use artificial intelligence to, in theory, identify, track, and locate criminals or missing people.The cameras are meant to be used by police to catch speeding motorists, be on the lookout for specific wanted licence plates, and track and identify missing people..The backlash comes from those who feel the cameras are not only an invasion of privacy but also a bizarre, authoritarian measure for a country like the United States, which prides itself on personal autonomy and privacy.In response to the installation of Flock infrastructure, videos have been posted showing people's protest to the cameras, such as a video of a man in Florida who sat in a chair next to a Flock camera, holding a placard blocking its view, and a dispensary in Michigan that installed a similar placard to block the view of another recently installed camera..However, some vigilantes have adopted more aggressive methods with the growing 'DeFlock' movement, which is growing support among those angry at what is perceived to be another example of government overreach.Videos have been posted showing masked individuals sawing down Flock cameras and spray painting over the cameras' lenses..Local governments and police have discouraged this behaviour and actively punished those who have been caught cutting down or otherwise damaging the cameras.Abuses of these cameras have already been documented, with multiple examples of police officers using the cameras to track ex-partners and other unlicensed uses of the cameras for personal reasons.Examples like this are pointed to by DeFlock activists, who say the cameras are not only allowing AI to track and document private citizens but also allowing for police officers to abuse their positions of power.There are an estimated 120,000 Flock-related units in the United States, but the company's presence in Canada is limited as of right now.The cameras do exist here but are mainly used by private, gated communities and not police services or municipal governments.
