Flock offers buyouts to workers as company faces backlash

### Flock Safety Offers Voluntary Buyouts as Surveillance Company Faces Growing Scrutiny

Flock Safety is offering voluntary buyouts to employees as the surveillance technology company faces growing criticism over its network of automated license plate readers and the way its technology is used by law enforcement agencies.

According to WIRED, which reviewed internal emails sent to employees on Friday, Flock has introduced what it described as a “generous” severance program for workers who choose to leave the company. The company said the majority of employees who apply will receive the buyout.

In its internal communication, Flock said the program was designed to give employees greater choice and agency while treating them with transparency and respect. People familiar with the situation told WIRED that the voluntary program could reduce the need for broader layoffs among Flock’s roughly 1,500 employees.

The packages reportedly vary, with some employees being offered several months of health insurance coverage, tens of thousands of dollars in severance and additional time to exercise stock options after leaving the company.

Employees have until October 2 to apply for the program, according to the report. Flock is expected to notify applicants about whether they have been accepted by October 9, with employees who accept the offer scheduled to leave the company by October 29.

The buyout program comes as Flock Safety faces increased public and political scrutiny over its rapidly expanding network of license plate-reading cameras. Privacy advocates and critics have raised concerns about how information collected by the system is accessed, shared and potentially used beyond its original purpose.

Previous reporting by WIRED has documented allegations involving law enforcement officers using Flock's system to monitor former romantic partners and colleagues. Such incidents have also drawn attention to the number of agencies that can potentially share access to information collected through the network.

The company is also facing scrutiny from lawmakers. A U.S. Senate subcommittee recently opened an investigation into Flock Safety, seeking company records and information about its data-management practices amid concerns over law enforcement misuse and cases involving alleged wrongful arrests.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, sent a letter to Flock CEO Garrett Langley arguing that the Atlanta-based company has developed a nationwide surveillance network without explicit authorization from Congress. The company has disputed aspects of the criticism surrounding its technology and its use.

Flock’s cameras have also become targets of vandalism. In August, authorities in Chester County, South Carolina, arrested three 19-year-olds who were accused of cutting down and destroying two Flock Safety cameras.

The combination of political scrutiny, public criticism and opposition to the company's surveillance network has raised questions about Flock's future. People familiar with the buyout program told WIRED that some employees may accept the offers amid speculation that the company could consider selling portions of its business or pursuing a broader transaction.

Flock has raised approximately $1.2 billion in venture funding, according to the information cited in the report. The company has expanded rapidly in recent years as law enforcement agencies have adopted automated license plate recognition technology to assist with investigations and vehicle identification.

CEO Garrett Langley acknowledged the effect of the controversy on employees during an appearance on the All-In podcast last month. He said the biggest impact of the backlash had been on internal morale, pointing to criticism on social media platforms including X and Reddit.

Langley questioned why the company was facing criticism for practices he said had been part of its operations for years and argued that Flock's goal was to help keep communities safe.

At the same time, opposition to the technology has continued to grow in some communities. One advocacy group cited in the report said 93 city and county governments had ended their relationships with Flock in August alone.

The voluntary buyout program gives Flock employees an option to leave with financial and benefits support at a time when the company is navigating questions about its workforce, business strategy and the broader debate over the use of automated surveillance technology.