Surveillance tech firm Flock offers buyouts to shrink workforce amid backlash

Flock Safety, the surveillance technology company at the center of growing controversy, announced on Friday what it internally described as the most generous voluntary severance package in its history, according to a report from Wired. The company expects a significant share of its roughly 1,500 employees to express interest, and said it plans to grant the buyouts to a majority of those who apply.

The move appears designed to let go of employees who have grown demoralized amid sustained public backlash over the company's license plate recognition technology, without resorting to forced layoffs. Wired reported that without the buyout program, Flock would almost certainly have needed to cut staff involuntarily.

Mounting scrutiny over misuse

In August, The Washington Post identified 46 cases in which police officers were accused of misusing Flock's technology, including instances where they allegedly used it to stalk wives, girlfriends, or exes. Florida and Texas have both announced they will stop using the startup's technology. An anti-surveillance advocacy group also found that 90 cities dropped Flock in August alone, a fourfold jump compared to the previous month.

Flock CEO Garrett Langley recently told the All-In podcast that the biggest damage from the backlash has been to internal morale. TechCrunch has reached out to Flock for comment on the buyout program.