AI-rewritten: This is a summary of an article from The Verge, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article – read it for the full story.

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In April 2025, Elgin Community College installed six Flock safety cameras to improve student security. However, by September 2025, school officials became concerned because they believed Flock shared data with Customs and Border Patrol, that camera feeds were insecure, and that both law enforcement and company employees misused access. Consequently, in October 2025, the college asked Flock to remove the cameras. Elgin’s President Peggy Heinrich stated that Flock refused this request, claiming no contract violation occurred.

School officials attempted again in December 2025, offering to pay for the remaining five months of the contract while still demanding removal. They received no response from Flock. This led to a strange situation where college staff covered the cameras with black trash bags and zip ties to prevent footage capture. Heinrich explained that workers in an unmarked vehicle repeatedly removed these coverings whenever they arrived for service, creating a cycle of covering and uncovering until April 2025 when the contract expired and Flock finally took down the devices.