Flock Safety CEO faces backlash over privacy-safety compromise comments

Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley is facing intense backlash following comments suggesting Americans must ‘compromise’ between privacy and safety. During a television appearance, Langley argued that the two priorities should not be viewed as mutually exclusive, stating that the country must find a balance to ensure public safety through surveillance technology.

Critics on social media platforms, including X, have accused Langley of hypocrisy, pointing to claims that his own residence is obscured on Google Maps. This has fueled accusations of a double standard regarding the use of the company’s automatic number plate recognition cameras. While Flock Safety maintains its technology is a vital crime-fighting tool, the company has faced scrutiny over instances of misuse, such as a Kentucky police officer using the system to track an ex-girlfriend.

The controversy has also drawn political attention, with Senator Josh Hawley launching an investigation into the company’s practices.