Flock Safety CEO urges 'compromise' on privacy as surveillance backlash grows

Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley has used a series of recent interviews, including one on Fox News, to argue that the country needs to find a "compromise" between privacy and public safety rather than prioritizing one over the other.

The company, which makes surveillance cameras, drones, and license plate recognition technology, has faced mounting public criticism. The Washington Post recently identified 46 cases in which police officers were accused of misusing Flock's technology, including to stalk wives, girlfriends, or exes. After hearing an interview with one alleged victim, Langley told CBS News he was sorry for what she went through, while maintaining that Flock did not create police abuse but was instead the first company to expose it and build tools to detect it.

Criticism from both sides of the aisle

Flock has drawn fire from politicians across the political spectrum. Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed accused his opponent, Mike Rogers, of supporting the widespread rollout of Flock cameras. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders publicly called for an end to what he described as AI mass surveillance. Meanwhile, three House Republicans introduced a bill that would bar the federal government from purchasing automated surveillance systems using facial recognition, biometric IDs, or license plate recognition, explicitly naming Flock cameras.

Company response

Flock has already made changes, cutting its default data retention period from 30 days to seven and requiring a case code before data can be accessed. However, both measures can be overridden through a feature called Evidence Mode, which allows police to retain data longer. The American Civil Liberties Union called the changes a possible step in the right direction but said whether they represent a genuine shift or merely a public relations move will depend on how Evidence Mode actually functions. Langley has said state regulators should pass laws making illegal use of Flock data a criminal offense, acknowledging that the technology currently lacks sufficient regulation and accountability.