Flock Safety is seriously struggling to beat the allegations of enabling a dystopian surveillance state.
The company has been reeling from a growing PR crisis, with a growing number of Americans vandalizing its flawed license plate-reading cameras. It’s been losing dozens of contracts with cities across the country as the controversy grows, undermining its value to police.
And now, while simultaneously promising to address glaring privacy concerns with milquetoast software updates, Flock is doubling down by selling “Drone as First Responder” (DFR) tech, in the form of drones that are equipped with powerful cameras that can inspect license plate numbers from up to 2,000 feet away, as Techspot reports.
During a Monday podcast appearance, Flock CEO Garrett Langley fleshed out the company’s latest foray into airborne camera-equipped drones, purportedly the company’s “fastest growing business unit right now.” Drones stationed on the roofs of police stations or fire departments launch to respond to 911 calls much quicker, he said, by traveling as the crow flies.
