Flock Safety to cut about 18% of staff after buyout, amid surveillance backlash
Flock Safety, maker of AI licence-plate cameras, will lose about 18% of its staff (roughly 270 people) by the end of October, following a voluntary buyout. The company says it was not a layoff.
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The story, neutrally told
Centre · 2Flock Safety plans to let go of about 18% of its employees, roughly 270 people, according to people with direct knowledge of the plans who spoke to Reuters on 8 October. CNAN “Flock Safety plans to let go of about 18 per cent of its employees, people with direct knowledge of the plans said on Thursday” Read at CNA ↗ TechCrunchN “News of the staff cuts comes from Reuters, which reported that Flock is reducing its staff by 18%, or around 270 employees” Read at TechCrunch ↗ Centre · 2The sources said the cuts follow a voluntary buyout programme and that the employees will leave at the end of October; the sources were not named because the company had not made the plan public. CNAN “Employees will leave the company at the end of the month. Sources declined to be identified as the company has yet to make the plan public.” Read at CNA ↗ TechCrunchN “the employees are leaving at the end of October following a voluntary buyout program” Read at TechCrunch ↗ Centre · 2Wired reported in September that Flock had asked employees to apply for a voluntary separation programme, with TechCrunch adding that Wired cited a need to shrink staff to avoid mandatory layoffs. The company has about 1,500 employees. CNAN “In September, Flock announced a voluntary separation program, asking employees to apply if they wanted to leave the company, Wired reported last month. The company has about 1,500 employees.” Read at CNA ↗ TechCrunchN “citing the need to shrink its staff to avoid mandatory layoffs” Read at TechCrunch ↗
Centre · 1Flock spokesperson Paris Lewbel told TechCrunch the company "recently offered current employees a generous Voluntary Separation Program as part of our efforts to position the company for its next phase of growth" and that it was "a voluntary program, not a layoff". The spokesperson would not say whether chief executive Garrett Langley or other executives took a pay cut. TechCrunchN “This was a voluntary program, not a layoff, and reflects our continued focus on building a strong, sustainable business for the future.”“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.” Read at TechCrunch ↗ Centre · 1Flock, based in Atlanta and founded in 2017, has raised over $950 million, including a $275 million round in March led by Andreessen Horowitz that valued it at $7.5 billion. It supplies cameras and software to more than 4,800 law enforcement agencies and nearly 1,000 businesses, with a network of around 120,000 cameras across 49 states. CNAN “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”“Flock provides cameras and software to more than 4,800 law enforcement agencies and nearly 1,000 businesses.” Read at CNA ↗ Centre · 1The cuts come amid growing opposition. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found 38% of Americans support Flock cameras in their community and 47% oppose them; Florida banned automated licence plate readers from state highways in September; Home Depot investors demanded reviews of surveillance vendor partnerships after reports Flock data was used in immigration enforcement; and a Virginia lawsuit alleges warrantless surveillance. CNAN “Some 38 per cent of the country supports the use of Flock cameras in their community, compared to 47 per cent who oppose their use.”“In September, Florida banned automated license plate readers from state highways, citing privacy risks tied to Flock’s cameras.”“Flock also faces legal challenges, such as a privacy lawsuit in Virginia alleging that the widespread deployment of its AI-powered cameras constitutes warrantless surveillance.” Read at CNA ↗
Centre · 1TechCrunch also lists criticisms including police officers arrested, fired or forced to resign for abusing access to search and track people without a warrant, exposed cameras and weak cybersecurity, licence plate misreads leading to improper stops, and law enforcement departments including the Los Angeles police department letting contracts lapse. TechCrunchN “Dozens of police officers have been arrested, fired, or forced to resign for abusing access to Flock’s system to search, track, and stalk people without a warrant or their permission.”“Several law enforcement departments, including the Los Angeles’ police department, have allowed their contracts to expire or lapse, citing privacy and civil liberties concerns.” Read at TechCrunch ↗ Centre · 1Reuters, as carried by CNA, said Flock cameras have become a flashpoint in this year's midterm elections, and that the company's funding has supported a new US manufacturing facility and an upcoming push into drone products. CNAN “Together with AI data centers, Flock cameras have emerged as a flashpoint in this year’s midterm elections”“The funds have supported a new US manufacturing facility and an upcoming push into drone products, according to the company.” Read at CNA ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets treat the workforce reduction as a consequence of mounting privacy and political backlash. CNA (Reuters copy) is a business exclusive built on anonymous sources with investor and valuation context; TechCrunch adds the company's response and a longer list of criticisms.
- Emphasis
- CNA: funding, valuation, polling, state bans, lawsuits, midterms. TechCrunch: company statement, police abuse, cybersecurity, misidentification.
- Leaves out or plays down
- CNA carries no company comment. TechCrunch gives no valuation or funding detail and no poll figures.
- Charged language
- “mass surveillance”“backlash”
- For example
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“as the maker of AI-powered surveillance cameras and license-plate readers faces mounting opposition to its products from communities and lawmakers” — CNA
“legislators looking to rein in the company’s privately run mass surveillance program” — TechCrunch
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Flock is reducing its workforce by about 18%, roughly 270 employees.
- The departures follow a voluntary buyout programme and take effect at the end of October.
- Flock faces growing privacy criticism over its licence-plate cameras.
Where accounts differ
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Whether the departures are a layoff
- Centre
- CNA (Reuters) describes the 'job cuts' and 'let go'; TechCrunch headlines 'cuts staff' but relays Flock's statement that it was 'a voluntary program, not a layoff'.
Flock Safety organisation
Through spokesperson Paris Lewbel, Flock says the voluntary separation programme positions it for its next phase of growth and was not a layoff; it says its technology helps solve crimes.
“This was a voluntary program, not a layoff, and reflects our continued focus on building a strong, sustainable business for the future.” — TechCrunch
“The company says its technology helps investigate and solve crimes” — CNA
Garrett Langley person
Chief executive Garrett Langley: Flock would not say whether he took a pay cut.
“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.” — TechCrunch
East and Southeast Asia1 outlet
CNA carries the Reuters exclusive with a business and investor focus.
“despite drawing strong investor interest among venture capitalists” — CNA
CNA
North America1 outlet
TechCrunch frames it as privacy fallout and includes the company's denial that it is a layoff.
“This was a voluntary program, not a layoff” — TechCrunch
TechCrunch
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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CNAN ·
Neutral Reuters-sourced exclusive on the cuts, placed in a context of investor money, polling, state action and lawsuits.
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Surveillance company Flock cuts staff as privacy backlash grows
Critical Presents the cuts alongside a catalogue of criticisms of Flock and notes the company's refusal to comment on executive pay.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 9 Oct 01:20 First CNAN Exclusive-AI surveillance startup Flock Safety to cut several hundred jobs amid backlash, sources say
- 9 Oct 14:40 +13h 21m TechCrunchN Surveillance company Flock cuts staff as privacy backlash grows
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.