Surveillance

A Tale of Two Tech Revolts

What the simultaneous revolts against Flock and data centers can tell us about the power and risks of populism

Christian Britschgi | 8.28.2026 3:10 PM

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(Tony Webster/Wikimedia Commons/Fabian Schmidt/Dreamstime)

America is in the grip of two targeted anti-tech backlashes. 

The first is against automatic license plate readers (ALPRs), which are mostly, but not exclusively, supplied to thousands of local police departments by the company Flock Safety. 

The second is against data centers writ large: large boxy facilities housing rows of servers doing everything from hosting streaming services to powering advances in AI. 

Neither technology is particularly new. Police departments have been using ALPRs for decades. Data centers predate the internet. 

That makes the sudden negative turn against both so startling. 

At the end of last year, the public was mostly unaware and unconcerned about data centers. Now up to three-quarters of Americans would oppose their construction in their community. More people say they would rather live next to a steel mill or a nuclear plant than a hyperscale data center.  

Newly released YouGov polling reported today by The Washington Post shows a complete 180 in public opinion on ALPRs as well. Last August, 45 percent of people supported the technology and 33 percent opposed. This year, 46 percent are opposed to ALPRs and 38........

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