Flock CEO Apologizes For Calling Activists ‘Terrorists’

Today on Forbes, Flock CEO apologizes for calling activists quote terrorists. For the last 2 years, Will Freeman has been advocating against Flock Safety, an $ 8.3 billion surveillance company that tracks vehicles with a network of over 80,000 cameras. His organization, DFlock, crowdsourced a map that shows where the company's cameras are located and helps local grassroots movements organize against flock deployments. In an interview with Forbes last year, Flock CEO Garrett Langley described Deflock as a quote terroristic organization. But now, as Flock faces an increasingly vitriolic public backlash, Langley says he regrets that label. He says, quote, "My comments were a mistake and I apologize. There are groups today that have real valid criticisms of the business and I think what's changed for us is as we've listened to them and heard them out, what we're trying to do is find this balance. We believe in a world where we can have safety and privacy." The anti-flock movement has picked up steam recently thanks to reports of ISIS's access to the company's cameras, a brief partnership with Amazon's Ring that ended after a public outcry about an especially creepy Super Bowl ad, and recent stories of cops using Flock to stalk women. Even celebrities are starting to speak out. UFC fighter Shawn Strickland posted earlier this month on X, quote, "To the legends out there destroying Flock cameras, I just want you to know America salutes you." Last week, Tucker Carlson claimed Flock was helping build quote the largest mass surveillance operation in history and called Langley a quote douchebag billionaire. Langley says he doesn't pay attention to the online chatter about him. Langley tells Forbes, quote, "No, we do not work with ICE." He emphasized that Flock only retains data on cars for 30 days unless a local government customer demands otherwise. In Washington state, the company keeps data for 21 days per recently enacted local law. Langley says he welcomes such regulation as it guides the company on what the community wants when it comes to privacy. He says, quote, "What's changed in the business in the last year is an acknowledgement that we don't have all the answers." He's also accepted Dlock's mapping of its cameras. He says, quote, "Assuming no one is committing a crime, it's perfectly fine." Freeman says, "It's quote awesome." Langley has apologized. Freeman adds, quote, I'm also just an American who values safety. I just don't think mass surveillance is the way to go about it. Langley's comments are in sharp contrast to Flock's previous stance on activist groups organizing against it. The company tried to shut down Deflock in the past, sending cease and desist letters to the group in early 2025. It's also gone after Have I Been Flocked, an unaffiliated website that helps people learn if their vehicle has been tracked by the company's cameras. Flock claimed the site hosted identifying information of officers in live investigations and posed a threat to their safety. In December last year, Langley lambasted anti-flock activist groups in emails to customers saying they quote want to defund the police, weaken public safety, and normalize lawlessness, and are quote trying to turn a public records process into a weapon against you and against us. Vandals have been taking aim at flock cameras for at least a year. Anti-flock Facebook groups have acred hundreds of thousands of members who often post creative suggestions for how to dismantle the license plate readers. One person recommends taking an ankle grinder to cut down a camera pole. Others say lasers or drones armed with a spray paint canister can blind Flock AI. When police agencies post warnings that vandals face prosecution for trashing Flock cameras, the movement comment bombs them. For instance, in the small town of Rutherford, North Carolina earlier this month, the chief of police put up a Facebook post that vandals who saw down camera poles would be quote charged to the fullest extent allowed under North Carolina law. Facebook users left 35,000 comments in response, many disparaging flock. Some major police agencies have stopped using the technology due to privacy concerns, including the LAPD and police departments in Mountain View, California, and Framingham, Massachusetts. But Langley says net customers have gone up with annual revenue rate hitting $500 million earlier this year. For full coverage, check out [music] Thomas Brewster's piece on Forbes.com. This is Kieran Meadows from Forbes. Thanks for tuning in.