Flock Safety to cut 18% of staff as privacy backlash grows

AI-surveillance startup Flock Safety plans to lay off about 270 employees, or 18% of its workforce, after a voluntary buyout program, sources said Thursday.

• Sources said Flock planned to cut about 270 employees, departing at the end of the month after a voluntary buyout program.
• Spokesperson Paris Lewbel said the program was voluntary, not a layoff, part of positioning the company for its next phase of growth.
• Florida banned automated license plate readers from state highways in September, citing privacy risks tied to Flock's cameras.
• Flock faces a Virginia privacy lawsuit alleging its widely deployed cameras constitute warrantless surveillance.