Flock Safety, the embattled surveillance technology company behind license plate recognition systems used by police departments across the US, is offering voluntary buyout packages to its 1,500-person workforce.
According to a report in Wired, the company unveiled what it described as the "most generous" severance packages it has ever offered on Friday. Flock expects a significant portion of its workforce to express interest and said it will grant buyouts to a majority of those who apply.
The buyouts come as the company faces intensifying backlash. In August, The Washington Post identified 46 cases where police officers were accused of misusing Flock technology, including cases where officers allegedly stalked their partners. Florida and Texas both announced they would stop using the technology, and an anti-surveillance advocacy group identified 90 cities that dropped Flock in August alone — a fourfold increase from the previous month.
CEO Garrett Langley recently told the All-In podcast that the "biggest damage" from the backlash has been to internal morale. The voluntary departures allow Flock to part ways with demoralized employees while avoiding the optics of forced layoffs.
Wired reported that without the buyout program, Flock would "almost certainly" need to lay off some staff. The situation represents a dramatic fall for a company that was once one of the most talked-about startups in the government technology space.
The case has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over law enforcement surveillance technology and the accountability mechanisms (or lack thereof) when that technology is misused.
