Flock Safety Offers Voluntary Buyouts Amid Surveillance Backlash
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
The surveillance startup is attempting to reduce its 1,500-person headcount through severance packages to avoid mandatory layoffs.
Flock Safety has introduced a voluntary severance program designed to shrink its workforce of 1,500 employees, as TechCrunch first reported. The company described the buyout packages as the "most generous" it has ever offered and indicated it expects a significant portion of its staff to apply, with the company intending to grant the buyouts to a majority of interested employees.
Wired reports that without these voluntary departures, Flock would "almost certainly" be forced to conduct layoffs. The move comes as the company faces intensifying scrutiny over its license plate recognition technology. According to The Washington Post, 46 instances were identified in August where police officers were accused of misusing the technology, including allegations of stalking partners or ex-partners.
External pressure has mounted as Florida and Texas both announced they would cease using the startup's technology. Additionally, an anti-surveillance advocacy group reported that 90 cities dropped Flock in August, representing a fourfold increase over the previous month. CEO Garrett Langley recently stated on the All-In podcast that the primary internal consequence of this backlash has been damage to employee morale.