As backlash against its surveillance network refuses to die down, Flock Safety is kicking off an employee buyout program that’ll let workers leave the company with a “generous” severance package, Wired reports.
It’s seemingly an admission that the company is in turmoil. Protestors have targeted Flock’s AI-powered license plate scanning cameras so fiercely that many cities and police departments are cancelling or declining to extend their contracts, which could leave the enterprise short of revenue goals, according to Wired‘s sources. It’s either buyouts for the 1,500 worker-strong company, or layoffs.
Employees who want to leave are getting a solid deal, at least according to Flock. The voluntary severance program, which started accepting applications Friday, gives employees several months of health care coverage and the ability to exercise stock options within two years of separation. Some employees have reportedly said they’ve received buyout offers in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Flock, in its professed munificence, called the buyout package as the “most generous” ever offered by the company, extolling that it provides “greater agency” for its employees.
There’s no word yet on how many people have applied or will be accepted, but applicants are expected to hear a decision on October 9. Most of those who get accepted will leave by October 29. Sources familiar with the program said they expected that a significant number of employees will leave.
It’s not just the overwhelming backlash against the company that could push employees to exit. There are also rumors that the company might sell off parts or all of its business.
“When you see enough of the vandalism,” one of the people told Wired, “you know the writing is on the wall.”
An analysis by the advocacy group Secure Justice found that at least 214 cities and counties have dropped their Flock contracts since 2021 — and 90 of those cancelled or lapsed contracts came in 2026 alone. In August, an average of three local administrations were cancelling their Flock contracts each day.
Because of the purpose of Flock’s services — conducting mass surveillance — these cancellations have created a vicious cycle. The more municipalities that its cameras go down in, the less useful that Flock becomes to its remaining customers. Some police departments have explicitly cited the loss of coverage from neighboring towns cancelling their contracts as a reason to do the same.
When Flock was confronted with the cancellation data less than a month ago, a spokesperson confidently responded that renewals were outpacing cancellations. But if the buyout program is any indication, there’s a lot more anxiety about its future behind the scenes.
More on privacy: Cops Are Giving Complete Nonsense Reasons to Search Thousands of Flock Cameras
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