Illinois college’s attempt to cancel Flock cameras was blocked until the contract ended
The college could not get the cameras removed early, even after offering to pay the rest of the contract.
Elgin Community College in Illinois tried to end its Flock camera agreement after raising concerns about data sharing, access security, and misuse of footage, but the company would not remove the devices until the contract ran out. The school first asked Flock to take down six safety cameras in October 2025, and President Peggy Heinrich said the company replied that it had not broken the contract. When the college later offered to pay the remaining five months and again asked for removal, it got no response, so staff began covering the cameras with black trash bags and zip ties. Heinrich said workers in an unmarked vehicle repeatedly removed those covers before the contract finally expired in April and Flock took the cameras down.
Why it matters
For the college, the issue was not only the cameras themselves but losing control over how long they stayed in place after concerns about data sharing and access security had already surfaced. The result shows how a vendor contract can keep equipment operating until the term ends, even when the customer wants it out sooner. That left the school waiting for expiry before it could remove the cameras from campus.
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Sources
- The Verge