Pressure Systems edition
Palantir Deals and Flock Cameras Collide With Public Backlash
August 28, 2026
What this edition shows
State surveillance and automated policing tools face mounting pushback as municipal resistance, police misconduct, and citizen vigilantism target Palantir contracts and Flock license plate readers. From Greater Manchester and Calgary to Florida and Atlanta, public agencies and private vendors are colliding with grassroots sabotage, local resistance, and corruption scandals.
Reporting and analysis behind this edition 10 sources
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State Department to Partner With Palantir, Anduril on Free Speech Initiative
The Freedom Tech Excellence Program also includes the Bitcoin Policy Institute and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.
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The U.K. Is Falling for Palantir’s Salesmanship
Fantasy, not practicality, is driving bad deals.
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The Single English County Saying No to Palantir
The UK government is facing calls to cancel a sprawling health care contract with Palantir. The region of Greater Manchester insists it can do a better job itself.
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Why Calgary police are trying to ditch Palantir
Service says “prohibitive costs” of contract have sparked push for replacement
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Anduril: Trump-linked US defence firm eyes UK military contracts
Drone maker Anduril is backed by Peter Thiel, counts Donald Trump Jr. as an investor, and is one of four firms selected for the MoD’s new “wingman” project
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Americans are cheering for vigilantes who take down Flock cameras
Americans have declared war on Flock cameras. They've protested them, damaged them, and destroyed them. This is only the beginning. The spontaneous and decentralized nature of the vigilante protests is also what makes them difficult to suppress. There isn't a uniform method of disruption; people hav…
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Florida ‘Deputy of the Year’ Used Flock to Stalk Ex, Held Gun in Her Mouth, Did a Nazi Salute
The deputy resigned after an investigation uncovered an alleged history of racism, stalking, and sexual abuse.
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Flock Once Tried To Turn Every Ride Share Driver Into Part Of Its ALPR Network
Until just recently, Flock never felt it needed to rehabilitate its image, even when several cities were dumping contracts and cameras over persistent surveillance concerns. When cities shut down systems, Flock just kept running. In some cases, it even installed cameras that without proper permits o…
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How an Atlanta Suburb Ended Up Sharing Flock Data With More Than 2,000 Organizations
Alpharetta, Georgia, cops share data with thousands of Flock users, ranging from federal agencies to a fish and wildlife commission. The reasons why show how vast—and invasive—the network has become.
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As Flock Vandalism Goes Mainstream, One Grand Jury Says Alleged Flock Vandal Did Nothing Wrong
Flock Safety has been on the wrong side of the press cycle — if not the wrong side of history — for most of the last couple of years. Flock’s automated license plate readers (ALPRs) are more comprehensive than many of those previously deployed by law enforcement agencies. Not only do they capture pl…