Growing up, we were told all about the wonders of technological advancements: how they would take us beyond the moon or let us soar through the sky in flying cars. They were supposed to lead us toward freedom that we could never imagine, right here in the land of the free. 

But what happens when those that can afford to support these advancements lose sight of the dreams we’ve all had for decades? What happens when those same people want some to have greater freedom than others? We don’t need to ask; we are seeing it happen in real time. 

Just on our small campus, the Valdosta State University Police Department has seven Flock license plate readers, not to mention the other 10 owned by the Valdosta Police Department. This begs the question: why do we need all these cameras? 

VSU might not be a crime-free paradise, hiding from those with ill-will, but neither is it a lawless jungle. So, why is it treated as such? 

One also cannot help but wonder what Flock does with the data they receive. Recent news stories have shown that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has used similar license-plate readers to track down and deport human beings. 

Despite Flock’s denial of their working with ICE, their website states that the company has “federal customers” who can “establish 1:1 sharing relationships with any other legal law enforcement agency on the Flock Safety platform,” which shows that it is not impossible for ICE to use their data. 

Knowing this, how can we, as a community, be sure that our personal data is being used only for good and not for cruelty? How can we be sure that our freedoms are protected? 

There are many who scoff at the outlandish worlds predicted by dystopian authors, worlds where freedom is but a pipe dream, an idea spread only through the breeze by those who remember its sweet taste. 

But as each day goes by, those worlds are closer to becoming a reality—so, thanks, George Orwell, for showing us what we were not ready to see. 

Of course, we truly want to believe that those in power are doing everything they can to make sure that our society is safe. 

We understand that these license plate readers can and have been used to capture criminals and protect victims, and we want to live in a society where those who commit atrocities face retribution for their crimes. 

However, we cannot sit back and watch as our every move is tracked and recorded in some government file, especially if that data is used against the innocent. If we are to protect ourselves and protect our neighbors, we must all keep an eye on how these technologies are being used. 

We should propel ourselves towards a free world, not away. So, even though Big Brother might be watching from up above or down below, so, too, are we. 

For more information about the Flock cameras on campus, please visit our news article: https://vsuspectator.com/2026/04/01/surveillance-cameras-on-campus-spark-concern/