The 404 Media Podcast Flock Used Cameras at a Children’s Gymnastics Center for a Sales Pitch
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May 6, 2026 They unpack a FOIA that showed a surveillance company used children’s gymnastics cameras as a sales demo and the city’s heated decision to keep the contract. They cover a high-profile retraction of research claiming ChatGPT helps education and debate industry-backed plans to fund AI literacy in schools. They also discuss a major digital rights conference canceled amid international pressure.
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Flock Sales Demos Used Nearby Live City Feeds
- Flock admits sales demos pulled live cameras from contracted cities, explaining employees showed dozens of real-time feeds to prospective buyers.
- Dunwoody was used because it's near Flock's Georgia HQ, so demos relied on local live feeds including sensitive interior cameras.
Demo Explanation Doesn't Alleviate Public Trust Damage
- Even if demos explain the behavior, using real children and private spaces as demonstration material is deeply unsettling and erodes trust.
- Residents' outrage centered on being treated as a test environment without consent.
Three Hour City Council Showdown Ended With Contract Renewal
- At a Dunwoody city council meeting citizens spent nearly three hours condemning Flock and demanding action while officials defended renewing the contract.
- The mayor accepted Flock's apology, applied minor contract tweaks, and voted to renew despite prolonged public objection.