OAKLAND, Calif. – After hours of emotional public testimony and mounting scrutiny from civil liberties advocates, Oakland’s Public Safety Committee rejected a proposed $2.25 million contract with private surveillance firm Flock Safety, signaling a significant setback for the controversial expansion effort.
The Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP) said that Councilmembers Carroll Fife and Rowena Brown voted against the proposal this week, following widespread concerns from community members who urged the committee to block the deal.
Residents and advocates cited what they described as Flock’s “privacy violations, data selling, and collaboration with federal immigration agencies,” warning that the surveillance system could disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, including immigrants and people seeking reproductive or gender-affirming health care.
The vote aligns with a recommendation last month from the Oakland Privacy Advisory Commission, which voted 4-2 to reject the proposal after raising concerns about data-sharing risks and questioning whether the vendor could be trusted to protect sensitive information.
Sarah Fathallah, an Oakland-based surveillance researcher, praised the decision and the councilmembers who opposed the contract, stating that “Flock data has been used to target immigrants, people seeking abortion and trans care, unhoused individuals, and more.”
APTP Co-Founder and Executive Director Cat Brooks also warned that approving the contract would expose residents to preventable harm, arguing that “as a sanctuary city with a large migrant population, the damage this Flock contract could do is unimaginable.”
APTP noted that Oakland is one of several U.S. cities currently reconsidering partnerships with Flock Safety, citing concerns over transparency, vendor accountability and the company’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agencies.
The organization said it remains unclear whether the company or its supporters will attempt to revive the proposal in the future. The vote represents only one phase in an ongoing statewide and national struggle over automated surveillance systems and civil rights, APTP said.
APTP added that it will continue monitoring upcoming council agendas and prepare to mobilize community members if the issue resurfaces for a full City Council vote, stating its goal is to strengthen protections against what it views as invasive surveillance practices.
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