AI Camera Company Flock Safety to Cut About 270 Jobs

Flock Safety, a company that makes AI-powered surveillance cameras and license plate readers, plans to lay off about 270 workers. That is roughly 18% of its total staff of about 1,500 people. People who know about the plan shared the news on Thursday, though Flock has not announced it publicly. The cuts come as more communities, privacy groups, and lawmakers speak out against the company's technology.

Before these layoffs, Flock offered employees a chance to leave on their own through a voluntary buyout program. Workers who chose to leave through that program will finish their time at the company by the end of the month. Flock has not said anything publicly about the job cuts, and the company declined to comment when asked by reporters.

Flock Safety was founded in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2017. In just a few years, it grew into a major player in the surveillance technology business. The company has raised more than $950 million from investors, and its most recent funding round valued it at $7.5 billion. That money has helped Flock build a new U.S. manufacturing facility and develop new drone products.

Flock's network includes about 120,000 AI-powered cameras placed on streets and highways across 49 states. These cameras automatically read license plates and record vehicles as they drive by. More than 4,800 law enforcement agencies and nearly 1,000 businesses use Flock's cameras and software. The company says its technology helps police investigate and solve crimes.

Even so, many people are worried about privacy. A poll by Reuters and Ipsos found that Americans are divided on the issue. About 38% of people support using Flock cameras in their communities, while 47% are against it. Privacy advocates say the cameras collect too much data on ordinary people without their knowledge or permission.

Pushback against the company has been growing. In September, Florida banned automated license plate readers from state highways because of privacy concerns linked to Flock's cameras. Investors in Home Depot also recently called for a review of the retailer's deals with surveillance companies after reports that Flock's data was used in immigration enforcement. A lawsuit in Virginia also claims that Flock's wide use of cameras amounts to warrantless surveillance, meaning the government is watching people without a court's permission.

Flock's cameras have become a hot-button issue in politics too. Along with AI data centers, they have become a major topic heading into November's midterm elections. Some candidates are using their opponents' ties to surveillance technology as a way to attack them on the campaign trail.