Photo via Fast Company
Lowe's Home Improvement is confronting growing pressure to terminate its contract with Flock Safety, a surveillance technology firm that produces automated license plate readers and AI-powered cameras used by law enforcement. According to Fast Company, the demand comes from 38 organizations—including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Fight for the Future—who contend that the cameras create privacy risks and enable immigration enforcement actions.
The coalition's April letter to CEO Marvin Ellison raises concerns that Flock data has been weaponized against vulnerable populations, including undocumented immigrants, abortion seekers, and protesters. Though Flock maintains that law enforcement can only access data with customer permission, records obtained by the EFF show the technology is already integrated into surveillance networks accessible to federal agencies. Lowe's has not publicly responded to the advocacy group's April 17 deadline.
This controversy mirrors similar backlash at The Home Depot, which has stated it does not grant federal law enforcement access to its license plate readers. As home improvement retailers have become sites of increased ICE activity, investor concerns about civil rights risks and potential discrimination have intensified across the retail sector.
Momentum is building against surveillance technology adoption, with 68 jurisdictions pausing or terminating Flock contracts in recent weeks, according to nonprofit Secure Justice. Industry observers suggest that if Lowe's abandons the partnership, it could trigger a domino effect across major retailers facing shareholder and community pressure over data privacy and civil liberties.
