Montana Senate candidate Seth Bodnar released a campaign video that features him destroying a Flock Safety surveillance camera with a shotgun. This action thrusts the heated debate over automated license plate readers into the upcoming 2026 midterms. It signals increased political pressure on states, tech companies, and law enforcement agencies that rely on this expanding surveillance network.
Montana voters now face a race where issues such as digital privacy, police access to data, and AI-driven monitoring could influence policies beyond the state’s borders. The advertisement arrives amid federal investigations, statewide bans, and criminal cases mounting against these controversial cameras.
The video portrays Bodnar declaring, “Flock off, man!” while accusing the cameras of tracking individuals performing everyday activities like shopping, attending church, and visiting doctors. Newsweek reached out to Flock Safety and the campaigns for Seth Bodnar and Kurt Alme for comments.
Political Stance on Surveillance
The video positions Bodnar as a figure actively targeting Flock Safety’s automated license plate readers. By shooting a Flock camera mounted beside a bag of flour in the ad, Bodnar dramatizes his opposition to what he sees as unchecked surveillance. He emphasizes concerns about constant monitoring, arguing these devices capture more than traffic-violation data—recording every vehicle that passes—and storing information in cloud systems vulnerable to misuse.
Flock Safety, managing over 120,000 cameras across 49 states, denies selling user data, stating law enforcement agencies own the collected information. Bodnar connects the cameras to a broader commercial ecosystem, claiming they are “part of a massive economy designed to buy and sell our personal data.”
Legal consequences for Bodnar will depend on the camera’s ownership and the circumstances surrounding its destruction. As of mid-September, no law enforcement agency announced investigations, and no evidence suggests the camera in the ad was a functioning, government-owned device.
Other Political and Legal Clashes
Bodnar’s ad lands amid ongoing political and legal confrontations over Flock Safety technology. In Tennessee, independent House candidate Adam Lee Heimerman faced arrest in July with felony charges for allegedly shooting four operational Flock cameras. His arrest spotlighted these cameras as symbols of government overreach and central elements in criminal cases. As candidates in other states adopted anti-surveillance messaging, Heimerman’s case gained national attention, emphasizing how deeply these cameras have penetrated local policing.
Backlash has reached Washington, where Senator Josh Hawley launched a congressional investigation accusing Flock Safety of creating an unauthorized surveillance network. The investigation bolstered calls for federal regulation as privacy advocates warned AI-driven monitoring raises risks beyond current legal protections.
State Responses and Privacy Legislation
Several states are taking action. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered removing automated license plate readers from highways, citing significant privacy concerns. Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee paused new camera installations due to public backlash. These moves reflect the rapid shift of the issue from niche privacy debates to mainstream political confrontations.
In Florida, Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon is selling campaign shirts with slogans like “FLORIDA NEEDS TO GET THE FLOCK OUT” to harness voter frustration. Montana has already positioned itself as a leader in digital privacy. The state closed the “data broker loophole,” preventing law enforcement from purchasing sensitive digital information, including precise geolocation, without a warrant.
The new Montana law, SB 282, builds upon a decade-long effort to restrict facial recognition, protect genetic data, and recognize digital information as constitutionally protected against unwarranted searches.
Campaign Dynamics
In the campaign video, Bodnar criticizes Republican candidate Kurt Alme for not taking a stance against automated license plate readers, stating he will not remain silent “by a long shot” before shooting the shotgun. This criticism suggests Bodnar sees the surveillance issue as a crucial differentiator in the competitive four-way race.
A Montana Free Press-Rutgers Eagleton poll found Alme leading Bodnar, 38 percent to 30 percent, with Democrat Alani Bankhead at 16 percent. The poll surveyed 845 registered Montana voters between late August and early September. Bodnar’s ad might help him consolidate voters unsure about government surveillance and tech data collection.
Bodnar’s background as a West Point valedictorian, Rhodes Scholar, Green Beret, and former University of Montana president gives him national credibility on security and technology issues. His experience at General Electric overseeing digital locomotive systems strengthens his critique of large-scale data infrastructure. However, his record includes controversy: a $350,000 sex-discrimination lawsuit at the University of Montana in 2024 alleged a “good ol’ boys club” culture under his leadership. Bodnar’s surveillance campaign may shift the focus to a populist privacy message rather than previous administrative issues.
Future Implications
Bodnar’s advertisement is expected to intensify scrutiny on Flock Safety as midterms approach. With ongoing federal investigations, expanding statewide bans, and candidates facing criminal charges over these cameras, the technology has become one of the most volatile issues of 2026.
Whether Bodnar’s stunt will close his polling gap remains uncertain, but the momentum behind anti-surveillance messaging is clear. As Montana continues to lead in digital privacy legislation, the state’s Senate race might become a national test for how voters respond to AI-driven monitoring—and candidates’ willingness to oppose it.
For further information, contact Newsweek editors Samantha Beech and Gray R. Thomas on this story.