Flock CEO defends surveillance technology amid national backlash: ‘We shouldn’t pause progress’
At TechCrunch Disrupt, Flock CEO Garrett Langley defended his company's surveillance technology despite growing privacy concerns, arguing that its crime-fighting benefits outweigh the risks of abuse.
Key points
- Flock CEO Garrett Langley defended surveillance technology at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco on Wednesday.
- Langley said society should not pause progress if it wants criminals held accountable.
- Flock faces cancelled contracts and layoffs amid national backlash, but Langley called the trade-off worth it.
Flock founder and CEO Garrett Langley defended his company's surveillance technology during a panel at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco on Wednesday. The company makes license plate cameras and other recording devices and is facing a national backlash that has led to cancelled contracts and layoffs.
Langley said the risks of surveillance at scale do not outweigh the rewards. He argued that people who want a society with less crime must accept reduced privacy in return.
What Langley said
Langley said, "If we want to live in a society where, if you commit a crime, you have a higher probability of being held accountable, we shouldn't pause progress." He compared the debate to driverless cars, saying one accident should not mean shutting the technology down.
He said Flock provides recommendations and defaults to city leaders but aims to minimize mandated features and policies. He also said misinformation had caused some customers to cancel, including one who believed the cameras used facial recognition, which they do not.
If we want to live in a society where, if you commit a crime, you have a higher probability of being held accountable, we shouldn't pause progress
— Garrett Langley
Backlash and unanswered questions
Langley responded to criticism with anecdotes about police chiefs and crimes Flock has solved rather than specific solutions. Pressed on abuse and invasiveness, he said there is a way to curb abuse without disrupting the legal system but did not say what those ideas were.
He said building a consequential company comes at a price and that it is worth it because millions of people have a better life today because of Flock. He added that the company has made mistakes and some people disagree with what it does.
