Cities across the United States are ending contracts with Flock Safety, a provider of AI-powered license-plate reader cameras, at an accelerated rate in August.

The company’s updated terms of service state that customers may not use the cameras to mislead, harass, stalk or otherwise violate another person’s legal rights.

Senator Josh Hawley (R‑Mo.) said his office is investigating Flock Safety’s collection, retention and dissemination of data generated by its surveillance cameras. On Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the cameras as “out of control” after two police officers were arrested for misusing the system.

Advocacy groups have expressed concern that the technology, which predates Flock, can enable mass surveillance when combined with artificial intelligence. Jake Laperruque, deputy director of the Center for Democracy and Technology’s Security and Surveillance Project, said AI can turn license-plate readers into a dragnet that incorporates real-time facial recognition and keyword searches.

Catherine Crump, a UC Berkeley law professor, noted that a Texas sheriff’s office used the system to search for a woman who had an abortion and that federal agents have considered deploying it at gun shows. The scrutiny has drawn bipartisan attention.

Secure Justice reported that 93 jurisdictions terminated Flock contracts in August, up from 90 the previous month.

The trend indicates continued bipartisan scrutiny of AI surveillance tools, and further regulatory action remains pending.