WIRED Investigation: How Flock's Pricing Model Escalates Costs for Cities Over Time

WIRED examined contracts from over two dozen municipalities, revealing how Flock Safety's pricing structure systematically increases costs over multiyear commitments while limiting cities' ability to switch vendors. The investigation into the license-plate recognition company's contracts shows a dramatic escalation pattern that transforms modest initial outlays into six-figure annual bills within five years, raising questions about transparency and true total cost of ownership in municipal surveillance deployments.