Flock cuts 270 jobs
Flock Safety plans to let go of about 18% of its employees, people with direct knowledge of the plans said on Thursday, with the job cuts expected to impact roughly 270 employees and with employees leaving at the end of the month. Flock Safety has about 1,500 employees, and the company’s AI-powered surveillance cameras and license-plate readers operate across 49 states, automatically reading license plates and recording vehicles as they pass. Flock Safety’s network comprises around 120,000 AI-powered cameras affixed to streets and highways, and the company provides cameras and software to more than 4,800 law enforcement agencies and nearly 1,000 businesses.
Flock Safety’s planned workforce reduction follows a voluntary buyout program, and Reuters reported that the company declined to comment on the plan. Flock Safety was founded in 2017 and is based in Atlanta, and the company has raised over $950 million from venture capital investors, with its latest $275 million round in March led by Andreessen Horowitz valuing the company at $7.5 billion.
Voluntary program, public backlash
Flock spokesperson Paris Lewbel told TechCrunch that the company offered current employees a generous Voluntary Separation Program and said, “This was a voluntary program, not a layoff.” TechCrunch reported that Flock’s spokesperson would not comment further when asked by TechCrunch if chief executive Garrett Langley or other executives took a pay cut as part of the program. The Reuters/Ipsos poll found about 38% of the country supports the use of Flock cameras in their community, compared with 47% who oppose their use.
Florida banned automated license plate readers from state highways in September, citing privacy risks tied to Flock’s cameras. The Guardian also reported that in September, Florida banned automated license plate readers from state highways, citing privacy risks tied to Flock’s cameras.
Regulators, lawsuits, and stakes
Flock faces legal challenges, including a privacy lawsuit in Virginia alleging that the widespread deployment of its AI-powered cameras constitutes warrantless surveillance, Reuters reported. Florida banned automated license plate readers from state highways in September, and Home Depot investors demanded reviews of the retailer’s partnerships with surveillance technology vendors after reports that Flock’s data was used in immigration enforcement. Flock’s network of about 120,000 AI-powered cameras is affixed to streets and highways across 49 states, automatically reading license plates and recording vehicles as they pass.
Flock has come under increasing scrutiny over alleged privacy violations and data-sharing practices, and it described the company as facing growing scrutiny from regulators, lawmakers and privacy advocates. Reuters also framed the issue as a flashpoint ahead of November’s midterm elections, with candidates increasingly attacking their opponents by tying them to the technology.