AI surveillance company Flock lays off about 270 people amid product controversy

According to people familiar with the matter, Flock Safety, a maker of AI surveillance cameras and license plate recognition devices, plans to cut about 18% of its staff, roughly 270 people, with employees set to leave at the end of this month. The company previously launched a voluntary departure program in September and currently has about 1,500 employees; Flock declined to comment. Flock has deployed about 120,000 AI cameras across 49 states, serving more than 4,800 law enforcement agencies and nearly 1,000 businesses, but faces growing scrutiny from regulators, lawmakers, and privacy advocates. A recent Reuters and Ipsos poll shows 38% of Americans support the use of Flock cameras in communities, while 47% oppose them. In September, Florida banned the use of automatic license plate recognition devices on state highways citing privacy risks; Home Depot investors demanded a review of the retailer's partnership with surveillance technology vendors; and a privacy lawsuit in Virginia also accuses its cameras of constituting warrantless surveillance.