Flock Safety offers buyouts as privacy backlash drives cities to drop contracts

Flock Safety has begun offering voluntary buyouts to its roughly 1,500 employees, a sign that public backlash against its license plate reader network is now having a material effect on the company's headcount and finances, according to reporting by WIRED.

The surveillance technology firm announced a voluntary separation program on Friday, and workers have until October 2 to apply, WIRED reports, citing an internal email. The company expects to approve the majority of applications, and people familiar with the program who were not authorized to discuss it publicly told the outlet they believe a significant share of the workforce may try to leave. Employees will learn whether they were accepted on October 9, with most departures set for October 29 — though Flock may ask some staff to remain for another one to three months.

A generous package, by Flock's own account

In its internal announcement, Flock described the severance package as the most generous it has ever offered — roughly double its previous packages — and said the program provides workers with "greater agency" and treats them with "transparency, respect, and choice." Some employees said they received offers in the tens of thousands of dollars, along with several months of health care coverage and the ability to exercise stock options for up to two years after leaving, a longer window than the company typically extends to resigning employees.

Customers are walking away

The buyouts come as Flock continues to lose customers. An advocacy group counted 93 city and county governments that cut ties with the company in August alone, and across 2026 roughly three times as many local governments have dropped Flock as in the previous five years combined.

WIRED's own reporting over the past month has intensified the scrutiny. The outlet documented cases where officers allegedly used Flock to track former romantic partners and colleagues, showed how broadly some agencies share access to the system, examined how little is publicly known about how the devices are manufactured, and revealed — using data from a dismantled Flock camera — how much information the hardware collects.

Financial pressure mounting

Founded in 2017, Flock raised money at a valuation above $8 billion in a funding round that closed in April, and has taken in about $1.2 billion in venture capital overall. But two people told WIRED that many of its contracts have been dropped or not renewed this year, which could leave the company short of its revenue goals. A wave of vandalism targeting its cameras has unexpectedly increased expenses, and one person believes that without the buyout program, Flock would almost certainly have had to lay off staff. Some employees may accept the offers amid speculation that the company could sell off parts or all of its business to stay afloat.

CEO Garrett Langley acknowledged the strain on the All-In podcast last month, saying that "the biggest damage" from the backlash had been to "internal morale." He questioned why people are "so mad at us" after nine years of the same work, and "for things we don't do."

Pushing beyond license plate readers

Even as contracts lapse, Flock has been expanding its product line. WIRED reported last month that the company has developed AI-powered investigative software that can identify drivers, infer potential associates from patterns of movement, and search across police records and other data. A separate WIRED analysis of the company's software found tools designed to continuously scan camera feeds for people matching written descriptions, along with potential integrations with drones and other surveillance systems.

Why it matters

Flock's buyout program shows that privacy controversy over surveillance technology is translating into concrete commercial damage — mass contract cancellations, revenue risk, rising costs and now workforce reductions at a company valued above $8 billion just months ago. For the wider surveillance industry, it is a clear data point that sustained press scrutiny and public pressure can move municipal procurement decisions, not just headlines. At the same time, Flock's continued investment in AI-powered investigative tools — which go well beyond reading license plates — raises the stakes of the debate. The company is shrinking in some areas while expanding its capabilities in others, setting up a sharper fight over how much automated surveillance communities are willing to accept.