Flock reportedly tries to shrink workforce with employee buyouts
Without buyouts, Flock would "almost certainly" need to lay off staff.
Flock Safety, a surveillance technology firm, announced a "generous" severance package for voluntary employee departures on Friday, according to Wired. The company anticipates a large number of its 1,500 employees to take advantage of the buyouts, and plans to offer them to most of those interested. The internal announcement described these packages as the most generous the company has ever provided.
By allowing employees to leave voluntarily, Flock aims to rid itself of team members affected by the ongoing backlash over its license plate recognition technology. Wired also indicates that without these buyouts, the company would likely face layoffs. In August, The Washington Post reported 46 instances where police officers were accused of misusing Flock's technology, including stalking cases.
Both Florida and Texas have announced they will cease using the startup's technology, while an anti-surveillance advocacy group counted 90 cities that dropped Flock in August, a fourfold increase from the previous month. TechCrunch has sought comment from Flock regarding the situation. CEO Garrett Langley recently acknowledged on the All-In podcast that the backlash has primarily hurt "internal morale."
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