In a move that has privacy advocates doing a double-take, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has frozen state spending on Flock's AI surveillance cameras. The freeze came just before the Texas Tribune dropped a bombshell investigation revealing the state had shelled out over $30 million on the cameras, funded primarily by a $1 fee tacked onto insurance policies - allegedly to combat catalytic converter theft. Because nothing says 'fighting crime' like a surveillance state funded by your auto insurance premium.

Flock cameras have been catching heat from all sides of the political spectrum, and not just because they're watching you. There have been multiple incidents of officers being placed on leave or criminally charged for misusing the systems, with at least six such cases in Texas alone. The company has also faced scrutiny over its data-sharing practices, camera placement near playgrounds, employees' access to video feeds, unsecured feeds, and its less-than-transparent attempts to avoid transparency. It's almost like they were trying to be the villain in a dystopian thriller.

Cities across the country have been canceling their Flock contracts faster than you can say 'privacy violation,' and Texas is no exception. Abbott's Democratic opponent, Gina Hinojosa, has been critical of his expansion of the cameras, while Republican Representative Keith Self took to Instagram to declare, 'From Flock cameras to kill switches, we will NOT surrender our Fourth Amendment rights to the growing surveillance state.' Even the internet has found common ground in cheering on the destruction of Flock cameras - because nothing unites people quite like a shared hatred of being watched.