Flock reportedly tries to shrink workforce with employee buyouts
In Brief Posted: 1:39 PM PDT · September 19, 2026 Image Credits:Anthony Ha / TechCrunch Anthony Ha Flock reportedly tries to shrink workforce with employee buyouts Embattled surveillance technology company Flock Safety unveiled a “generous” severance package for voluntary employee departures on…
In Brief Posted: 1:39 PM PDT · September 19, 2026 Image Credits:Anthony Ha / TechCrunch Anthony Ha Flock reportedly tries to shrink workforce with employee buyouts Embattled surveillance technology company Flock Safety unveiled a “generous” severance package for voluntary employee departures on Friday, according to a report in Wired. Flock reportedly expects a significant portion of its 1,500-person workforce to express interest in the buyouts, and said it will grant them to a majority of those who are interested. The company’s internal announcement described these packages as the “most generous” it has ever offered. By letting employees depart voluntarily, Flock can say goodbye to team members demoralized by the ongoing backlash over the company’s license plate recognition technology. Wired also reports that without buyouts, the company would “almost certainly” need to lay off some staff. In August, The Washington Post identified 46 cases where police officers have been accused of misusing Flock technology, including cases where they allegedly stalked their wives, girlfriends, or exes. Florida and Texas both said they will stop using the startup’s technology, and an anti-surveillance advocacy group identified 90 cities that dropped Flock in August alone — a fourfold increase from the previous month. TechCrunch has reached out to Flock for comment. The startup’s CEO Garrett Langley recently told the All-In podcast that the “biggest damage” caused by the backlash has been to “internal morale.” Topics AI, Flock, Government & Policy October 13 – 15 San Francisco Last day to book an exhibit table is September 18. Don’t miss out on high-impact leads, investor access, and a brand spotlight in Disrupt’s Expo Hall. BOOK NOW Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news Related AI Trump says it’s time to rebrand AI with a new name — and he’s also creating an AI Force Anthony Ha 9 hours ago Media & Entertainment Tilly Norwood’s press tour is going about as well as you’d expect for an AI Amanda Silberling 1 day ago AI A new kind of AI model from a ChatGPT inventor is thrilling developers Tim Fernholz 1 day ago Latest in AI In Brief Flock reportedly tries to shrink workforce with employee buyouts Anthony Ha 8 hours ago AI Trump says it’s time to rebrand AI with a new name — and he’s also creating an AI Force Anthony Ha 9 hours ago In Brief Google’s Gemini is the latest AI model to hack other companies Anthony Ha 12 hours agoSource: TechCrunch — Published — Category: Business