Surveillance technology firm Flock Safety plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 18%, or 270 employees, by the end of October. The job cuts follow a voluntary buyout program and come as the company faces increasing opposition to its AI-powered surveillance cameras and license-plate readers from communities and lawmakers.
Flock Safety, a company that has experienced rapid growth since its founding in 2017, is reportedly planning significant layoffs. Sources with direct knowledge of the plans stated that approximately 270 employees will leave the company by the end of October. These reductions are said to follow a voluntary employee separation program that the company initiated in September. Flock Safety, which employs around 1,500 people, has not yet publicly confirmed these plans.
The company's products, including AI-powered surveillance cameras and license-plate readers, have drawn increasing scrutiny and opposition. Privacy advocates, lawmakers, and citizens have voiced concerns over the potential for misuse and data-sharing practices. This public backlash has led to some cities and states taking action against the company. Florida banned automated license plate readers from state highways in September, citing privacy risks associated with Flock's cameras. Reports have also surfaced of law enforcement officers allegedly misusing Flock's technology for personal searches, such as tracking former romantic partners.
In response to these concerns, Flock Safety announced in August a series of changes to its platform, including reducing its data retention window from 30 days to seven days. The company also introduced an "Evidence Mode" to allow agencies to preserve data for longer periods and implemented mandatory audit tools to flag abnormal search behavior. However, some critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have described these reforms as a "thinly veiled PR attempt" rather than an earnest effort to address privacy concerns.
Despite the mounting opposition, Flock Safety has attracted substantial venture capital funding, raising over $950 million. The company's network of approximately 120,000 AI-powered cameras operates across 49 states, providing data to over 4,800 law enforcement agencies and nearly 1,000 businesses. Flock Safety states that its technology aids in crime investigation and resolution, but the growing public outcry and actions by some jurisdictions suggest a challenging period ahead for the surveillance technology firm. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated that Americans are divided on the use of Flock cameras, with 38% supporting their use and 47% opposing it.