Surveillance company Flock cuts staff as privacy backlash grows
Surveillance camera maker Flock has reduced its workforce amid growing public backlash against its license plate readers and people-tracking technology. The company stated the cuts were part of a voluntary separation program.
Surveillance camera manufacturer Flock has cut its workforce as the company faces increasing backlash over its license plate readers and people-tracking technology. The staff reductions were reported by Reuters, which stated that Flock is cutting 18% of its employees, approximately 270 individuals.
A spokesperson for Flock confirmed to TechCrunch that the company recently offered employees a voluntary separation program as part of efforts to position the company for its next phase of growth. The spokesperson characterized the program as voluntary, not a layoff. The company declined to comment on whether CEO Garrett Langley or other executives took pay cuts.
The staff cuts come as Flock has encountered significant criticism and mounting pushback from communities and legislators across the United States. Concerns have been raised regarding the company's privately run mass surveillance program, which utilizes over 100,000 license plate-reading cameras.
These cameras allow law enforcement and federal agents to track vehicle locations and movements. Numerous police officers have reportedly been arrested, fired, or forced to resign for abusing access to Flock's system to search for and track individuals in ways that exceed their authority.