Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa has released a new attack ad accusing her opponent, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, of robbing Texans of their freedom by opening the door to mass surveillance through a major contract with Flock Safety.
“Greg Abbott wants you to believe Texas is the ‘freedom capital of America,'” Hinojosa said via email. “But here’s the reality. Under his watch, there are now 10,000 Flock cameras across Texas — reading your license plate, logging where you sleep, where you pray, and where you go. All without a warrant.”
That number actually could be as high as 13,000, according to a report in the Texas Tribune.
“A few years ago, Republican electeds were opposed to mass surveillance. Now? They’re embracing it,” said Hinojosa’s email promoting the ad, titled “Welcome to Texas.”
Last year, Abbott handed Flock a largely state-subsidized $26 million contract to operate in Texas. The proliferation of the surveillance company’s automatic license plate readers in the state has prompted bipartisan concerns over their invasion of privacy.
“Abbott has turned Texas into a surveillance state — and he’s using our tax dollars to do it,” Hinojosa’s email continued.
The privacy concerns around Flock cameras have been exacerbated by reports of law enforcement abuse.
In 2025, a Johnson County sheriff’s deputy without a warrant used the nationwide network of over 83,000 Flock cameras to track a woman suspected of attempting to get an abortion.
Earlier this month, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office admitted three of its deputies had been blocked from using Flock cameras while it investigates possible misuse.
As a result of the growing backlash, a number of Texas counties and cities have cut ties with the company and its cameras.
Guadalupe and Hood counties have formally ended their contracts with Flock. Cities including Bandera, Lago Vista and Magnolia also dropped Flock this summer. Austin and San Marcos have also banned the cameras. Other municipalities such as Conroe and League City are floating the idea.
Locally, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has installed 35 Flock cameras throughout the county, according to the Express-News. Bexar County’s contract with Flock began in May 2025, and its equipment was installed by November.
The San Antonio Police Department has a contract with a different automatic license plate reader vendor, Axon.
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