A protest network with alleged ties to Chinese interests has shifted its focus from political opposition to U.S. technological infrastructure, targeting data centers and surveillance cameras, according to a Fox News Digital investigation and a new report.

This network, previously active in protests against former President Donald Trump, Israel, Elon Musk, and immigration enforcement, is now leading campaigns against the construction of data centers and the use of Flock license-plate reader cameras. Organizations within this ecosystem, funded by Shanghai-based tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, have been identified in protests across the country.

Singham and the nonprofits he has funded have denied taking direction from any government or political party. No criminal charges have been filed against these entities.

Evolution of Protest Tactics

A report commissioned by the free-markets nonprofit Consumer Action for a Strong Economy, with social-media analysis by Arken Intelligence, details a repeatable model used by these activists. The model involves identifying local grievances, connecting them to a broader ideological narrative, and amplifying these arguments through national media and activist networks.

The initial phase of this mobilization infrastructure was observed around the 2025 inauguration of Trump, with demonstrations against Tesla founder Musk. This evolved into "No Kings" and "Hands Off" protests, anti-Israel activism, and support for entities such as the Communist Party of Cuba, Iran, and Venezuela.

Groups associated with the Singham network, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, CodePink, the People’s Forum, and the ANSWER Coalition, have been repeatedly present in these movements. These groups have also worked with nonprofits aligned with the Democratic Party, such as Indivisible, which receives funding from George Soros. Representatives from these organizations maintain they are addressing legitimate community concerns and deny acting as agents of foreign influence.

Targeting Technology Infrastructure

The second phase of the protest movement saw the redirection of this infrastructure toward American technology. Over the past year, CodePink has spearheaded a national campaign against data centers, with similar messaging and strategies adopted by the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Media outlets such as BreakThrough News, also linked to the Singham network, have provided amplification.

The third phase has involved merging concerns about surveillance technology with the broader opposition to data centers. Flock cameras have become a focal point, bridging local privacy and policing issues with the national debate over artificial intelligence and data infrastructure.

While the report acknowledges that opposition to Flock cameras and data centers is not solely driven by this network and has gained bipartisan support due to genuine privacy and contract concerns, it credits the left-wing organizers with effectively linking these issues.

Expert Concerns on Influence Operations

Rob Joyce, former cybersecurity director at the National Security Council, described these efforts as "cognitive warfare." He told Fox News Digital that foreign actors aim to influence Americans to advocate for outcomes beneficial to Beijing. "A free society that can't build the power and govern the advanced technology is going to wind up renting it from the adversary, read the PRC, that doesn't share its own values," Joyce stated.

According to the Arken Intelligence analysis, posts mentioning both Flock cameras and data centers saw a significant increase, particularly after organizers began promoting the connection. Among posts with identifiable political affiliations, 81% originated from right-wing, conservative, or libertarian accounts, suggesting a broad, albeit strategically amplified, coalition.

The report identifies at least a year of coordinated efforts by activists within the Singham network to link these issues through propaganda media and activist channels. For example, BreakThrough News published an article in late September describing Flock as "America’s authoritarian tracking infrastructure." The Party for Socialism and Liberation’s Denver chapter, in partnership with Indivisible and the Sunrise Movement, promoted a forum examining the links between mass surveillance and data centers.

Local Grievances Amplified

Flock cameras serve as a crucial "entry grievance" for organizers, allowing disputes over police contracts or alleged misuse to be expanded into arguments about databases, artificial intelligence, and data centers. "Flock gives that abstraction a visible local target," the report states, enabling the portrayal of broader infrastructure development as threatening.

Flock officials note that the company's computing footprint is minimal, using less than 0.1% of a single data center’s capacity. However, the report suggests that Flock's political value as a tangible target for "surveillance state" arguments far exceeds its computational impact.

Ongoing Investigations

The scrutiny on the Singham network's alleged influence operations occurs amidst ongoing investigations by Congress and federal authorities. The Senate Judiciary Committee has asked the Justice Department and FBI to assess whether CodePink and the People’s Forum should register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The House Oversight Committee has sought records related to Singham's funding, while the House Ways and Means Committee has issued subpoenas to BreakThrough News and others.

In late June, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York reportedly launched a grand jury investigation into potential money laundering, wire fraud, and bank fraud violations by Singham and affiliated nonprofits. Organizations within the network have described these investigations as a "witch hunt."