Francesca Hong's campaign plan backs a ban on AI camera tools like Flock
Wisconsin state representative (D) running for governor in the 2026 Democratic primary
“Every few weeks, it seems, another police officer gets caught using an AI surveillance system to spy on an ex-girlfriend or abortion patient. Some uses of AI are dangerous encroachments on our civil rights. Fran supports a ban on the highest-risk AI tools available to law enforcement: live facial recognition in public spaces, individual-level risk scoring for pretrial detention and sentencing, AI-powered camera tools like Flock, and social media surveillance services.”
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Policy page on Francesca Hong's 2026 campaign website for Wisconsin governor, setting out her proposals on AI, privacy and police surveillance.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Milwaukee Courier roundup of written responses from Democratic candidates for Wisconsin governor on Flock cameras and police surveillance, published before the August 2026 primary.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Hong's campaign published a plan called Firewall on AI and privacy, with a section on AI and law enforcement.
After the quotation
The plan also says any algorithm-based or AI system used in policing should be open-source, independently audited and not controlled by a private vendor. The Milwaukee Courier cited the section in a July 2026 roundup of the Democratic candidates' positions on Flock cameras.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether networked license-plate camera systems such as Flock should exist and be used. Hong's campaign plan says she supports a ban on AI-powered camera tools like Flock among the highest-risk AI tools available to police, which is a call to end their use rather than to limit it.
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- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Flock Safety
Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
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