Flock reduces workforce through voluntary employee departure programme

Flock has confirmed a voluntary employee departure programme amid criticism of its surveillance systems. Reuters reports that about 270 employees, or 18% of the workforce, are expected to leave.

Flock spokesperson Paris Lewbel told TechCrunch on October 9 that the company had offered employees a voluntary separation programme. He described it as part of preparing for a further stage of growth and maintaining a sustainable business. The company distinguishes the voluntary arrangement from compulsory layoffs.

Reuters, citing people familiar with the plans, reported that approximately 18% of the workforce, or 270 employees, would leave at the end of October. Wired previously reported that some employees had been offered a departure programme intended to avoid mandatory job cuts. Reuters’ estimate of the scale is separate from Flock’s confirmation of the programme itself.

The company makes licence plate-reading cameras and tracking technology. It has installed more than 100,000 cameras across the United States. Police and federal agencies use the system to locate vehicles through records of their passage past cameras.

Criticism has focused on access to data, privacy and recognition accuracy. TechCrunch describes instances of law enforcement personnel abusing access, cameras being exposed to the public internet and licence plates being incorrectly identified. Communities and legislators have challenged aspects of the system.

Some cities have removed cameras, while several law enforcement agencies have allowed contracts with Flock to expire, citing privacy and civil liberties concerns. The company spokesperson did not answer TechCrunch’s question about whether executives, including chief executive Garrett Langley, had taken pay cuts. The published response does not confirm any such measure.