# Illinois universities spend half a million on Flock surveillance > Five public universities deploy controversial AI cameras that track vehicles and raise privacy concerns among students and faculty. - Title: Illinois universities spend half a million on Flock… - Summary: Five public universities deploy controversial AI cameras that track vehicles and raise privacy concerns among students and faculty. Illinois public… - Keywords: flock safety, surveillance cameras, university of illinois urbana-champaign, university of illinois chicago, southern illinois university carbondale, western illinois university, university of illinois springfield, license plate readers, ai surveillance, campus safety, student privacy, academic freedom - Source: Chicago Sun-Times — https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2026/09/17/five-public-universities-in-illinois-use-controversial-flock-cameras-to-surveil-campus - Published: 2026-09-17T10:30:00+00:00 - Read time: 4 min - Topics: flock safety, surveillance cameras, university of illinois urbana-champaign, university of illinois chicago, southern illinois university carbondale, western illinois university, university of illinois springfield, license plate readers, ai surveillance, campus safety, student privacy, academic freedom ## Five Illinois universities use Flock cameras The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Chicago, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Western Illinois University, and University of Illinois Springfield all contract with Flock Safety for surveillance. ## Universities spent $450,000 on Flock Since 2021, these five schools have spent more than $450,000 on Flock's AI-powered surveillance services, with the University of Illinois System being the company's biggest client among Illinois public universities. ## How Flock cameras work Flock's automatic license plate readers use cameras and AI to capture vehicle data including plate numbers, make, model, dents, and bumper stickers. The information is uploaded to a searchable database accessible to campus police and outside law enforcement. ## UIC has 15 cameras, renewing contract University of Illinois Chicago operates 15 Flock cameras under a two-year, $110,300 contract that ends this month. UIC officials are in talks to renew the agreement. ## Urbana-Champaign paid $180,000 The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the state's largest campus, has paid more than $180,000 to Flock since becoming the company's first public university client in Illinois in 2021. It operates 20 cameras on campus. ## SIU Carbondale operates surveillance drone Southern Illinois University Carbondale employs a Flock surveillance drone that costs more than $40,000 per year, making it the most expensive Flock deployment among the five universities. ## 150,000 students under surveillance More than 150,000 students at Illinois public universities are subject to Flock surveillance on their campuses, along with faculty, visitors, and others who drive by daily. ## Police used Flock to stalk exes Flock has faced intense scrutiny after revelations that police officers used the company's surveillance cameras to stalk their exes, raising concerns about misuse of the technology. ## Flock data led to wrongful arrests Data captured by Flock cameras have led to wrongful arrests, demonstrating the risks of relying on the technology for law enforcement investigations. ## Students petition against Flock At UIC and Western Illinois University, students have started petitions calling on administrators to end their relationships with Flock over privacy and misuse concerns. ## Surveillance threatens academic freedom Students and faculty worry that Flock cameras could identify and discipline people who attend protests or express opinions universities and the government find problematic, undermining free speech on campus. > they will be singled out, they could face repercussions, and all of that is really, in my mind, antithetical to the ideals of the university ## Surveillance endangers marginalized students At schools like UIC that support underrepresented and marginalized students, Flock data poses particular risks to immigrant, international, and students of color. ## Federal agents illegally searched Flock data An Illinois secretary of state audit found that U.S. Customs and Border Protection illegally searched Flock databases across Illinois in violation of the state's Trust Act, which bans cooperation between Illinois law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. ## Texas agents searched for abortion case In early 2025, the Illinois secretary of state found that Texas agents searched Flock databases in Illinois to pursue a woman who had an abortion, demonstrating how surveillance data can be weaponized across state lines. ## 650,000 searches in one month In July and August, outside law enforcement searched Flock data from three University of Illinois System campuses more than 650,000 times over a 30-day period, despite Flock's claims of improved access controls. ## Flock data trains AI models Researchers worry that while universities own the data from their cameras, it is housed on Flock-owned servers and used to train Flock's AI models, raising questions about what information is being monetized by the company. > What are you learning about the people on a campus through these systems that can then be fed into these artificial intelligence systems and monetized by a third party, such as Flock? ## UIC adds separate weapons detection system In December 2025, UIC agreed to pay Volt Inc. $3.5 million over three years for AI-powered video detection of weapons, crowd formation, and unattended objects, adding another layer of surveillance beyond Flock. ## Students want input on contract renewal UIC students Rachel Stein and Ellie Prafcke are calling on administrators to get student feedback before renewing the Flock contract, suggesting a QR code system to gather opinions on campus surveillance. > Why are we gathering this giant pool of information just in case it might help if somebody's car might get stolen and drive on this road? ## Cities and colleges cutting Flock ties As towns, cities, and colleges across Illinois and the country cut ties with Flock Safety over privacy and misuse concerns, the five Illinois public universities remain among the company's most significant clients. ## Key takeaway Illinois public universities are using Flock's AI-powered surveillance cameras despite growing concerns about privacy, misuse by police, and threats to academic freedom.