Garrett Langley, founder and CEO of Flock, addressed criticism of his company’s surveillance technology during a panel at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco. Langley argued that the potential for increased accountability in crime outweighs the risks associated with deploying surveillance technology at scale.
Flock produces license plate cameras and other recording devices used by law enforcement. Despite facing backlash that has led to contract cancellations and layoffs, Langley emphasized the technology’s role in solving crimes and improving public safety. He shared anecdotes from police chiefs and city officials to illustrate Flock’s impact rather than offering direct responses to privacy concerns.
Langley framed the adoption of surveillance technology as an inevitable step toward a safer society, suggesting that some privacy trade-offs are necessary to reduce crime. He compared Flock’s technology to other innovations like driverless cars, which improve safety despite occasional incidents.
Unlike companies developing autonomous vehicles, which pause operations to address accidents, Langley indicated that Flock prefers to leave ethical decisions and usage policies to city leaders rather than imposing strict mandates. He acknowledged that Flock is not perfect and that misinformation, such as incorrect beliefs about facial recognition capabilities, has contributed to some customer losses.
Langley also highlighted the decline in law enforcement staffing, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, positioning Flock’s technology as a tool to help police departments maintain effectiveness despite reduced personnel.
When pressed about potential abuses and invasiveness of surveillance, Langley did not provide detailed solutions but suggested that curbing misuse could be achieved without disrupting legal or policing processes.
Overall, Langley maintained that the benefits of Flock’s technology justify its challenges, stating that millions of people have improved safety due to their products and that the company accepts criticism as part of building impactful technology.