Technology
Chris Larsen faces family pushback over funding San Francisco police surveillance tech
Business Insider reports that the crypto billionaire's son opposed his donations supporting automated license-plate readers and police cameras.
The short version
- Crypto billionaire Chris Larsen stated his 19-year-old son opposes his funding of surveillance tech, saying he would rather have crime than surveillance.[Business Insider]
- Larsen provided $9.4 million to the San Francisco Police Department in 2025 to finance a center deploying drones, cameras, and automated license-plate readers.[Business Insider]
- Flock's automated reader technology has faced criticism, prompting the firm to tighten privacy safeguards after investigations found innocent people were targeted.[Business Insider]
- City officials reported that vehicle thefts in San Francisco dropped 79% between fiscal years 2023 and 2025 alongside these tech deployments.[Business Insider]
Key facts
- Chris Larsen stated his 19-year-old son told him, 'I'd rather have the crime than the surveillance.'[Business Insider]
- Larsen donated $9.4 million in 2025 to support the San Francisco Police Department's Real-Time Investigations Center.[Business Insider]
- Flock announced tightened privacy and accountability safeguards following public pushback.[Business Insider]
- Reported thefts from vehicles in San Francisco dropped 79% between fiscal years 2023 and 2025, according to officials.[Business Insider]
What remains uncertain
- The extent to which vehicle theft drops are directly attributable to Flock reader deployments versus other enforcement factors remains unverified.[Business Insider]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.