Protest Takes Place Outside Ripple Co-Founder's Home

A group of protesters gathered outside the San Francisco home of Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen. This was part of a nationwide campaign against automated license plate readers and the use of surveillance technology by law enforcement.

The demonstration, held Friday, was organized by members of the Sunrise Movement, a youth climate group. Protesters criticized Larsen over his financial support for San Francisco’s expansion of police surveillance infrastructure.

“Does this make you feel safer, Chris?”

Demonstrators handed out brightly colored flyers warning residents about Flock cameras and displayed a mock surveillance camera with a message directed at Larsen: “Does this make you feel safer, Chris?”

Luc Bouchard, an organizer with Sunrise Movement Bay Area, said activists believe automated license plate readers have not been shown to significantly reduce crime. He argued that San Francisco would get better public-safety results by investing in housing instead of expanding surveillance.

Larsen has notably funded extensive networks of private security cameras in the city, including through donations to neighborhood organizations.

In 2021, he backed a $700,000 proposal for a network of cameras in the Castro, while earlier funding supported camera installations in other neighborhoods. By 2023, reports said Larsen had contributed roughly $4 million to community efforts involving surveillance cameras.

In 2025, Larsen offered $9.4 million to support the relocation and modernization of the San Francisco Police Department’s Real-Time Investigation Center. Ripple provided the space for the center through a lease arrangement.

The upgraded center now works with a network of more than 400 Flock automated license plate reader cameras.

In July, the San Francisco Police Commission approved another $3 million contribution from Larsen.

The surveillance push is quite controversial. Privacy advocates and community groups have raised concerns about the collection and potential sharing of license plate data

Bouchard said the protesters intentionally brought their campaign to Larsen’s doorstep because of his role in financing the technology they oppose.