Flock cuts workforce by 18% amid privacy backlash

Surveillance camera maker Flock is reducing its workforce by 18%, or about 270 employees, as it faces growing criticism over its license plate readers and people-tracking technology, according to Reuters.

The employees are expected to leave at the end of October after a voluntary buyout program, Reuters reported. Wired reported last month that Flock had asked some employees to leave to reduce staffing and avoid mandatory layoffs.

Flock spokesperson Paris Lewbel told TechCrunch that the company had offered employees a “Voluntary Separation Program” as part of efforts to prepare for its next phase of growth. Lewbel said the program was voluntary and “not a layoff.” The spokesperson declined to say whether CEO Garrett Langley or other executives would take pay cuts.

Flock has installed more than 100,000 license plate-reading cameras across the United States, where police and federal agents can use the system to track vehicles. The company has faced criticism from communities and lawmakers over its surveillance technology. Critics have also raised concerns about cybersecurity and accuracy; reported cases of misidentified plates have led to improper police stops and arrests.

Some cities have removed Flock cameras amid public opposition, but the company replaced some of them. Several law enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department, have let contracts expire or lapse, citing privacy and civil liberties concerns.