Flock Safety CEO urges compromise on surveillance tech amid misuse concerns and regulatory scrutiny

Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley has publicly advocated for a "compromise" between privacy and public safety, framing the debate as a false dichotomy during interviews with Fox News and CBS News. Langley’s remarks follow mounting scrutiny of Flock’s surveillance tools, which include license plate readers, cameras, and drones used by law enforcement agencies across the U.S.

The backlash intensified after a Washington Post investigation identified at least 46 cases in which police officers were accused of misusing Flock’s technology for unauthorized purposes. These incidents included officers allegedly using the system to stalk current or former partners. Langley responded to one victim’s account on CBS News, stating, "I apologize. It kills me that she went through that," while maintaining that Flock’s tools are designed to detect abuse rather than enable it.

The company has faced bipartisan criticism from lawmakers. Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed accused his opponent of supporting "this mass proliferation of Flock cameras," while Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders posted a statement opposing "AI mass surveillance" and specifically naming Flock. On the Republican side, three House Republicans introduced legislation to prohibit federal purchases of automated surveillance systems that use facial recognition, biometric IDs, or license plate recognition, explicitly including Flock’s cameras.

In response to the criticism, Flock adjusted its default data retention period from 30 days to seven days and required case codes for data access. However, these changes can be overridden using a feature called Evidence Mode, which allows police to extend retention periods. The American Civil Liberties Union noted that while the changes may be a "step in the right direction," they fall short of the organization’s recommended 48-hour default retention period and questioned whether the adjustments constitute substantive reform.

Langley has also called for state regulators to criminalize the illegal use of Flock’s data and emphasized the need for broader regulation and accountability in the surveillance technology sector. Flock’s CEO is scheduled to address these issues during an upcoming appearance at TechCrunch’s Disrupt conference in October.